x 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN 
AND TREASURE HOUSE 



. OF CALIF. Minuinr. TO. 



BOOKS BY CAROLYN WELLS 



PATTY SERIES 

PATTY FAIRFIELD 
PATTY AT HOME 
PATTY IN THE CITY 
PATTY'S SUMMER DAYS 
PATTY IN PARIS 
PATTY'S FRIENDS 
PATTY'S PLEASURE TRIP 



PATTY'S SUCCESS 

PATTY'S MOTOR CAR 

PATTY'S BUTTERFLY DAYS 

PATTY'S SOCIAL SEASON 

PATTY'S SUITORS 

PATTY'S ROMANCE 

PATTY'S FORTUNE 



MARJORIE SERIES 

MARJORIE'S VACATION 
MARJORIE'S BUSY DAYS 
MARJORIE'S NEW FRIEND 



MARJORIE IN COMMAND 
MARJORIE'S MAYTIME 
MARJORIE AT SEACOTE 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN SERIES 

Two LITTLE WOMEN 

Two LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 




'AH right," Dolly blazed back, "if she doesn't go, I don't!" 

(Page 111) 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN 
AND TREASURE HOUSE 



BY 
CAROLYN WELLS 

AUTHOR OF THE PATTY BOOKS, THE MARJORIE BOOKS, 
Two LITTLE WOAIEN SERIES, ETC. 



WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY 

E. C. CASWELL 



NEW YORK 

DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 
1916 



COPVRIGHT, 1816 

BY DODD MEAD AND COMPANY. INC. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I ALL THEIR OWN ........ 1 

II A JOKE AT SCHOOL 15 

III AN AFTERNOON CALL 28 

IV THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE .... 41 
V TREASURE HOUSE 55 

VI SUCH A LUNCHEON! 69 

VII FUNNY UNCLE JIM 83 

VIII A STRANGE INTRUDER 96 

IX FAIRIES AND SUCH 110 

X FORTUNES FOR ALL 124 

XI THE FIRE SPIRIT 137 

XII MAD AND MEASLES 150 

XIII THE FEAST THAT FAILED 163 

XIV NEWS INDEED! 178 

XV DOLLY AND BERNICE 190 

XVI BROTHERS AND FUDGE 202 

XVII BOOMING BERNICE 215 

XVIII BERT AND THE BARGAIN 228 

XIX THE ELECTION 241 

XX THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 255 



2133651 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

" All right," Dolly blazed back, " if she 

doesn't go, I don't!" (Page 111) . Frontispiece 



FACING 
PAGE 



" I'm putting my highbrow books up top " .66 

"I'll make you popular, I will honest!" . . 192 
" I know all about your bargain with my sister " . 234 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN 
AND TREASURE HOUSE 



CHAPTER I 

AI/L THEIR OWNl 



" OH, two rooms ! " 
" Oh, a fireplace ! " 



" Oh, a window-seat! " 

" Two window-seats ! " 

These exclamations fell swiftly and explosively 
from the lips of Dotty Rose and Dolly Fayre, as they 
leaned over the table at which Mr. Rose was drawing 
plans. 

And such plans! And for such a purpose! 
Why, the whole project was nothing more nor less 
than a house, a real little house for those two for- 
tunate girls ! All their own, with fireplaces and win- 
dow-seats and goodness knows what all delightful 
contrivances. 

It had come about because of the fact that the 
girls had to study pretty hard, now that they were 
in High School, and both found difficulty in finding 
just the right place to study. Dolly declared that 
Trudy was always having company, and the laughter 
and chatter was so permeating, she couldn't find a 
place in the house to get out of hearing the noise. 

-C 1 > 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

While Dotty said little Genie was always carrying 
on with her young playmates, or else Mother and 
Aunt Clara were having Sewing Society or some- 
thing, and she never could be quiet in the library. 
The girls, of course, had their own bedrooms, but 
both mothers objected, on hygienic grounds, to using 
those for sitting-rooms. 

So Mr. Rose had cooked up a most fascinating 
scheme, and after a discussion with Mr. Fayre, he 
elucidated it to the girls. It seemed Mr. Fayre fully 
approved of it, and was quite willing to pay his share 
of the expense, but he was too busy to look after the 
details of building, and begged Mr. Rose to attend 
to all that. 

Mr. Rose, who was cashier of the Berwick Bank, 
had plenty of leisure time, and, moreover, had a taste 
for architecture, so the plans were in process of 
drafting. As the house was to be exceedingly sim- 
ple, he felt he could plan it all himself, and thus save 
the expense of an architect. 

" You see," he said to his interested audience, *' it 
is really nothing but a summer house, only it is 
enclosed, so as to be " 

" A winter-house ! " interrupted Dotty. " Oh, 
Daddy, it is too perfectly scrumptiousiferous ! I 
don't see how I can live through such joy ! " 

-c 2 > 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

Dolly's blue eyes sparkled, but her pleasure was 
too deep for words, and she expressed it in long 
drawn sighs, and occasional Oh's! 

" Say twenty feet by fifteen for the whole house," 
Mr. Rose said, musingly. " Then divide that in 
halves. Thus we have a front room, a sort of living 
room, ten by fifteen. Quite big enough, for in addi- 
tion we can have a deep window-seat at each end." 

" Where we can curl up in to study ! " cried Dotty. 
" Oh, Dollyrinda, did you ever dream anything so 
perfect ? " 

" I never did ! And what is in the other room, Mr. 
Rose?" 

" Well, a sort of dining-room, say ten by ten of it, 
and that will leave a neat little five by ten for a bit 
of a kitchenette." 

" Ooh eeh I can't take it all in ! A kitchen- 
ette ! Where we can make fudge and cook messes 
oh, Dad-dy ! " Dotty threw her arms around her 
father's neck, and in her great gratitude, Dolly did 
too. 

" Well, of course, the dining-room isn't exactly 
for an eating room exclusively, but I know you will 
enjoy having little teas there with your friends, or 
taffy pulls or whatever the fad is nowadays." 

" Oh, indeed we can," said Dolly ; " we can all go 
-C 3 > 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

I 

there after skating and have hot chocolate and sand- 
wiches ! Maybe it won't be fun ! " 

" But it is primarily for study," warned Mr. Rose. 
" I don't think though, you two bookworms will neg- 
lect your lessons." 

He was right, for both Dolly and Dotty were 
studious, and now, being in the High School, they 
were most anxious to make good records. They 
studied diligently every evening, and though Dotty 
learned her lessons more quickly, Dolly remembered 
hers better. But both were fond of fun and frolic, 
and they foresaw wonderful opportunities in the new 
house. 

" Oh, a piazza ! " squealed Dotty, as under her 
father's clever fingers a wide piazza showed on the 
paper. 

" Yes, of course ; this will be a summer house also, 
you know, and a piazza is a necessity. Perhaps in 
the winter it can be enclosed with glass. All such 
details must come later. First we must get the pro- 
portions and the main plan. And here it is, in a 
nutshell. Or, rather, in a rectangle. Just half is 
the living-room, and the other half is two-thirds din- 
ing-room and one-third kitchen. The kitchen in- 
cludes kitchenette and pantry." 

" What is a kitchenette, exactly? " asked Dolly. 
C 4 > 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

* 

" Only what its name implies," returned Mr. Rose, 
smiling. " Just a little kitchen. There will be a gas 
stove, no, I think it would be better for you to 
have it all electric. Then you can have an electric 
oven and toaster and chafing-dish, and any such con- 
traptions you want. How's that? " 

" Too good to be true ! " and Dolly sighed in deep 
contentment. " How long will it take to build it? " 

" Not long, if I can get the workmen to go right 
at it, and I hope I can. Now, suppose we plan the 
living-room, which is, of course, the study." 

" Let's call it the Study," said Dolly. " Sounds 
sort of wise and grown-up." 

" Very well. Here then, in the Study, suppose 
we have the door right in the middle of the front 
wall, and opening on the front veranda. Then a 
small window each side of the door, and a big square 
bay, with cushioned seat, at each end of the room." 

" Glorious ! " and Dolly danced about on one foot. 
" Then we can each have one of them to study in, 
every afternoon after school." 

" With a blazing wood fire where's the fireplace, 
Daddy?" 

" Here, opposite the entrance door. Then you 
see, one chimney in the middle of the house, will pro- 
vide for a fireplace in each room. I'm not sure this 
-C 5 > 



will give you heat enough. If not, you must depend 
on gas logs. We can't be bothered with a furnace 
of any sort. Perhaps in the very coldest weather 
you can't inhabit your castle." 

" Oh, that won't matter," and Dolly's good- 
natured face smiled brightly ; " if we have it most of 
the time, we'll .willingly study somewhere else on extra 
cold days. And at one side of the fireplace, the door 
through to the dining-room oh, yes, I see." 

" Right, my child. And on the other side of the 
fireplace, in the Study, a set of built-in bookshelves, 
and in the dining-room, a built-in glass closet." 

" But we haven't any glass ! " and Dotty looked 
amazed at the idea. 

" Well, I dare say the mothers of you will scout 
around and give you some old junk from the attics. 
I know of a gorgeous dish you can have." Mr. 
Rose's eyes twinkled, and Dotty broke into laughter : 
" I know ! you mean * The Eyesore ' ! " 

This was a hideous affair that some one had sent 
Mrs. Rose as a Christmas Gift, and the family had 
long since relegated it to the oblivion of a dark cup- 
board. "No, thank you!" Dot went on, "I'd 
rather have things from the ten-cent store." 

" They have some awfully nice things there," sug- 
gested Dolly, " and I know Mother has a lot of odds 
-C 6 > 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

and ends we can have. Oh, when the house is built, 
it will be lots of fun to furnish it. Trudy will make 
us lovely table-covers and things like that. And we 
can have paper napkins for our spreads." 

" And Aunt Clara says she will make all the cur- 
tains, whatever sort we want." 

" That's lovely of her ! I know we'll have lots of 



things given to us, and we'll find lots of things around 
our homes and the rest we'll do ourselves." 

" Yes, and Thomas will bring wood for us, and 
take av;ay the ashes. We must have enormous wood- 
baskets or wood-boxes. Oh, it's just like furnishing 
a real house ! What loads of fun we'll have ! " 

" Then, in the kitchen," Mr. Rose went on, draw- 
ing as he spoke, " we'll have a tiny sink, all nice white 
enamel, and a wall-cupboard for your dish-towels 
and soap and such things. Also a sort of a small 
a very small kitchen cabinet for your pepper and 
salt, with a place underneath for pans and kettles." 

" You think a lot about the kitchen, Daddy. I be- 
lieve you expect to come there sometimes to join our 
feasts." 

" I certainly shall, if I'm invited. Then, you see, 
the dining-room can have a deep window, and if you 
don't care for a window-seat there, how about a 
window-box of bright flowers ? " 
C 7 > 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" I don't know about that, Mr. Rose," demurred 
Dolly. " If the house isn't always warm, the poor 
posies would freeze, wouldn't they ? " 

" Right you are, Dollykins. Cut out the growing 
plants, then, and have now and then a vase or bowl 
of flowers on the table. Now, let me see. An elec- 
tric light over the table in the dining-room, and 
perhaps a side light or two. Then in the Study, a 
reading light for each, and one or two pretty fixtures 
beside." 

" Why, will we use it so much at night, Mr. 
Rose?" 

" If you choose to. And anyway, in the winter 
time, you'll need lights by five o'clock, or on dark 
days, even earlier." 

" That's so ; how thoughtful you are. I s'pose 
some days we won't go in the house at all, and others 
we'll be there all the afternoon and all the evening." 

"And all Saturdays," said Dotty; "we'll always 
spend Saturdays there, and we can make things for 
the house or make our Christmas presents, or make 
fudge and have the girls and boys come over " 

" Or just sit by the fire and read," interrupted 
Dolly. 

" Oh, you old kitten ! You'd rather lie by the fire 
and purr than do anything at all ! " 
-C 8 > 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

"Well, then I'll do that. We're to do what- 
ever we please in our own house, aren't we, Mr. 
Rose?" 

" Yes, indeed, Dolly. But amicable always. No, 
I don't think you two are inclined to quarrel, but you 
do have little differences now and then, and I'd hate 
to have the charm of this little nest disturbed by 
foolish squabbles." 

" I'll promise, for one, never to scrap," said Dolly, 
eagerly, and Dotty said with equal fervour, " Me, 
too!" 

" We'll have nice, plain, hard floors," continued 
Mr. Rose, " and I'm sure your mothers can find some 
discarded rugs." 

" Oh, we can make those," exclaimed Dolly. 
" Don't you know, Dot, that new way your Aunt 
Clara told us about ? You take rags, you know, and 
sew them in pipings, and then crochet them, oh, it's 
just lovely!" 

" Yes, I know. We'll each make one of those, it'll 
be fine!" 

" And we'll put them in the Study, one on each 
side of the room. Yours on my side, mine on 
yours." 

" All right. Which side do you want ? " 

" I'll take the side next my house and you the side 
< 9 > 



next yours. Then if our mothers call us, we can 
hear them." 

" Good idea," said Mr. Rose. " I think we'll put 
the house just on the dividing line between your 
father's ground and mine." 

" And Mother can hang a red flag out the window 
if she wants me in a hurry. Or if dinner is ready." 

" We might have a telephone," suggested Dotty. 

" We'll see about that later," said Mr. Rose. 
" You must remember that the expenses are counting 
up, and Mr. Fayre and I are not millionaires. But 
we want you to have a good substantial little nook 
for yourselves. Then, later, if we see fit to add a 
telephone or a wireless apparatus or an airship gar- 
age, we can do so." 

" All right," returned Dotty with a satisfied grin. 
" Say, Doll, shall we bring our desks from our bed- 
rooms ? " 

" No," Mr. Rose answered for her. " Those are 
too flimsy and dainty ; and besides, you'll need them 
where they are. I shall ask the privilege of contrib- 
uting two solid, sensible Mission desks of greenish 
tinge, with chairs to match. Then if you want to 
curl up on your window cushions to study you may, 
but there will be a place to write your composi- 
tions." 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

" Lovely, Father ! How good you are ! " and 
Dotty fell on his neck, while Dolly possessed herself 
of his hand and patted it. 

The two girls were equally fond of their fathers, 
but Mr. Rose was more chummy in manner than Mr. 
Fayre. The latter was devoted to his children, but 
was less demonstrative of his affection. 

But Dolly well knew that her father would not be 
outdone in kindness or generosity and that he would 
give an equally welcome gift, as well as pay his share 
of the building expenses. 

" All right, Mr. Rose," she said, " if you do that, 
I'm sure father will furnish the dining-room with 
whatever we want." 

" There won't be much needed for that, just a table 
and chairs, which can doubtless be snared in our 
attics. But your father, Dotty, offered the whole 
kitchenette outfit, which, I can tell you, is a noble 
gift" 

" Indeed it is ! " cried Dotty. " I'm crazy to get 
at that electricky-cooky business ! " 

" So'm I," declared Dolly. When will it be all 
done, Mr. Rose? " 

" Can't say exactly. If all goes well you ought 
to get in by the last of October." 

"About Hallowe'en, then," said Dolly. "We 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

might have a kind of Hallowe'en party for a house- 
warming." 

"Gay! cried Dotty. "We'll get all our 
treasures in it by that time." 

" Let's call it our Treasure House, how's that 
for a name ? " 

" Pretty good," said Mr. Rose. " I've been won- 
dering what to call it. Treasure House isn't bad at 
all. Makes you think of Treasure Island." 

" Yes, so it does," and Dolly's blue eyes sparkled 
at the name of one of her best-loved books. " Oh, 
won't it be fun to arrange our bookshelves. I'm 
glad to move some of my books, my shelves at home 
are overrunning." 

" Then, you see, children," Mr. Rose was still 
adding to his drawings, " in the summer, you can 
have hammocks on the veranda, and piazza-boxes 
with flowers " 

" Yes, Daddy, dear, you shall get those flower- 
boxes set up as soon as the gentle Spring gets 
around." 

" Well, I do love flowers," and Mr. Rose smiled, 
for his family well knew his great fondness for gar- 
dening. " Now you girls won't have any too much 
time to get your flummerydiddles ready. For after 



ALL THEIR OWN! 

the house is built and papered and painted, you ought 
to have your furnishings all ready. And to make 
curtains and cushions and lace whatd'y'callums 
tidies ? will be a few weeks' work, won't it ? " 

" Yes, indeedy. But all our beloved lady relatives 
will help us and among our sisters and our mothers 
and our aunts, I spect we'll accumulate about enough 
housekeeping stuff to stock a hotel." Dotty danced 
around the table as she talked, and catching Dolly 
in her arms, the two executed a sort of triumphal 
hoppity-skip that expressed their joy and relieved 
their feelings. 

" And now," sighed Dolly, suddenly looking 
thoughtful, " I've got to go right straight, smack 
home and do my Geometry for to-morrow." 

" Oh, my goodness ! me too ! " exclaimed Dotty. 
" Dear ! how I wish Treasure House was done, and I 
could go there to study. It's an awful long time 
to wait." 

" But we can make things every chance we get. 
Oh, Dotty, I'm going to make a birch-bark scrap- 
basket. I've got a lot of that bark left that I 
brought down from Crosstrees. Won't it be fine? " 

" Great ! Shall we have two? " 

" No, only one scrapbasket and such things. It's 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

more cosy. But two of everything that we use sepa- 
rately. Like two desks, you know." 

" Only one set of bookshelves." 

" Well, there'll be nooks for books, beside the fire- 
place, and beside the window casings," said Mr. Rose, 
" in addition to the regular shelves. I haven't half 
fixed those things up yet." 

" Oh, it will be just heavenly ! " sighed Dolly. 
" But I must scoot to my Geometry now. See you 
to-morrow, Dot. Good-bye." 

" All right. Good-bye." 



CHAPTER II 

A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

WHEN the two D's reached school next morning, they 
found a group of their friends giggling and whisper- 
ing in a corner of the Recreation Room. 

"What's the joke?" asked Dotty as they drew 
near. 

" Hello, Two D's," cried Tod Brown. " How are 
you, Toodies ? Just wait till you hear what's up ! 
The greatest sell ever! The biggest joke of the 
season. Oh, me, oh, my ! " 

" Tell us," begged Dolly. " Tell us, Tod, what 
is it ? " She was taking off her hat and coat as she 
talked, and as she stepped into the coatroom to hang 
them up, Celia Ferris slipped in and whispered to her. 
" Now don't jump on the scheme, Dolly Fayre. 
You're such a goody-goody, I'm half afraid to let you 
in on it." 

" Why, is it mean? " and Dolly's blue eyes flashed, 
for she hated a mean joke. 

" No, it isn't mean, at least no meaner than she 
deserves. But I wish they wouldn't tell you ; you're 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

an old spoilsport, and I know you'll say you won't 
join in." 

" Join in what? Do tell me, or I can't say what 
I'll do." 

" Come on out. Tod will tell you," and the two 
girls joined the others. 

"What is it, Tod?" asked Dolly, as she came 
up to the laughing boy. 

" Now, Dollykin, do be real nice and don't be a 
horrid old Miss Prim! You see, Miss Partland, the 
Geometry teacher, is so cross and horrid and unjust 
to us, we're going to pay her out. And we've 
thought up the greatest scheme ! Just listen ! " 

" No, let me tell her," said Joe Collins ; " you'll 
make it seem worse'n it is. Why, Doll, it's only this. 
You see, Miss Partland isn't looking very well, and 
we are all going to tell her so. She ought to know 
the truth. And she keeps a lot of us in every after- 
noon, and we don't want her to. So we're each going 
to tell her, as we get the chance, that she looks sort of 
ill, and then, we think she'll want to go home early, 
herself, and she won't stay to keep us in. Isn't that 
all right?" 

" Why, that doesn't seem very bad," said Dolly, 
dimpling as she smiled. " How are you going to 
bring it in ? " 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

" Oh, just casually, you know. If you have a 
chance, you just say, ' Aren't you feeling well, Miss 
Partland? ' or something like that." 

"I'd just as lieve say that, if she looks ill; but I 
won't if she doesn't," returned Dolly, very decidedly. 

"All right; you'll find she looks ill. Why, the 
poor lady is on the verge of nervous prostration, and 
so will we all be, if she is so hard on us." 

" Did she keep you in, yesterday ? " 

" Yep ; just 'cause I had a little mite of a mistake 
in one example ! Oh, she's the limit, she is ! " 

" And do you think she'll be any sweeter-natured 
if we sympathise with her for feeling bad ? " 

" Well, maybe ; you never can tell." 

" I think it's a grand scheme ! " declared Dotty. 
" She's an old fuss anyway. She found fault with 
my examples because I didn't take a separate sheet 
of paper for each one. I'd just as lieve, only I didn't 
know she wanted me to." 

"How's your house comin' on, Dot?" sang out 
Lollie Henry. 

" Perfectly great ! It'll be done by Hallowe'en, 
and maybe we won't have one rollicking good time ! " 

"Won't we just! You want to look out, you 
know Hallowe'en is the time for tricks, and I dunno 
what the boys will get off." 



" Not in our new house ! If anybody takes our 
doors off of their hinges or does anything mean, I 
won't stand it, that's all!" and Dotty shook her 
curly black head and her dark eyes sparkled with 
anger at the thought of such desecration. 

" Well, look out, that's all," said Lollie, teasingly, 
and then the bell called them to the schoolroom. 

Soon after they all trooped to a classroom for the 
Geometry lesson. As he passed the teacher's desk, 
Tod Brown tripped against her platform, and nearly 
fell over on it. 

" What a clumsy boy ! " exclaimed Miss Partland, 
frowning, and indeed the stumble was an awkward 
one. Small wonder, as it was done entirely on pur- 
pose! 

Tod straightened himself up, made a nice, boyish 
bow, and said, " Please excuse me, Miss Partland. 
Oh, don't feel alarmed, I'm not hurt." 

" And I'm not alarmed, you silly boy ! I am an- 
noyed at you, not sorry for you." 

" Yes'm. But, Miss Partland, you're so white. 
Why, you look quite ill! Mayn't I get you a glass 
of water? " 

" Go to your seat ! " Miss Partland turned scar- 
let, both from irritation at Tod's speech, and a sud- 
den nervous fear for herself. 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

Tod went to his place, and when it was Tad's turn 
to go to the blackboard, he paused a moment, and 
looked straight into the teacher's face. " Why, 
Miss Partland," he whispered to her, " don't you 
feel well ? You look awful queer ! " 

" Go to the board," she said, but she was evidently 
disturbed at his remark. 

Tad went obediently, and did his work well, then, 
as he returned to his seat, he gave Miss Partland a 
long, searching look, and gravely shook his head. 
The other pupils saw him, and saw, too, that the 
teacher looked worried. The joke was working. 
Surely, she would not stay to-night to keep anybody 
in. 

Next was Dotty's turn. She went toward the 
blackboard, but on the way, she stopped in front of 
Miss Partland, and looked at her. Then, with an 
anxious look on her face, she stepped up on the plat- 
form, and whispering in the teacher's ear, said : " If 
you're not feeling well, Miss Partland, why don't you 
go to the rest room for a while? " 

" I'm perfectly well, child, what's the matter with 
you?" 

"You don't look so," said Dotty, shaking her 
head, and looking back at her victim, as she moved 
slowly to the board. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Several others did similarly ; some not commenting 
on the teacher's looks, but merely staring at her, and 
then looking away quickly. 

Dolly Fayre had not noticed much of the whole 
performance, for she was behind with her lesson, and 
was struggling with a refractory problem, hoping to 
get it done before she had to go to the blackboard 
to demonstrate it. 

And so, when she rose from her seat, she was sur- 
prised and shocked to see how alarmed Miss Partland 
looked. Indeed the poor lady was all upset with be- 
wilderment at the observations made by her pupils. 
She had begun to think there must be something 
serious and noticeable the matter with her. She was 
trembling with nervous apprehension, and was on 
the verge of tears. And so, Dolly, who had for- 
gotten Tod's joke, said, most honestly, " Why, what 
is the matter, Miss Partland? You look awfully 
ill!" 

The other pupils, hearing this, chuckled silently, 
thinking what a good little actress Dolly was. 

But to Miss Partland it was the last straw. 

" I am ill," she cried out ; " very ill. Help me, 
Dolly, to the rest room." 

Leaning on the shoulder of Dolly, who was pretty 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

well frightened, Miss Partland stumbled along to the 
rest room, a place provided for any one suddenly 
indisposed. 

Dolly assisted her teacher to lie down on a couch, 
and dipping her handkerchief in cold water, held it 
to her forehead. 

" Let me call somebody," said Dolly. " I don't 
know what I ought to do." 

" No, I feel better now," said Miss Partland. 
" But I can't go back to the classroom. I think I 
must go home. You may go to Mr. Macintosh, 
Dolly, and tell him I went home, ill." 

" Yes, Miss Partland," replied Dolly, and then it 
suddenly came to her, that this was the result of 
Tod's joke! "Were you ill this morning?" she 
asked. 

" No, not in the slightest. It is a sudden attack 
of some sort. Perhaps I shall die ! " 

" Oh, no. You'll be all right in an hour or so. 
What sort of pain do you feel, Miss Partland? " 

" Not any definite pain. But queer all over, as if 
some illness were impending." 

I do believe, thought Dolly to herself, that it's all 
the fault of those horrid boys, telling her she looked 
ill ! And then she suddenly remembered that she her- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

self had told Miss Partland so, too, and very emphat- 
ically. But she had told her in earnest, while the 
others had been carrying out their jest. 

However, her comment was just the same as theirs, 
and doubtless helped to produce this effect. She 
wondered what to do. At first, she thought she 
would tell the whole story, and let the boys and girls 
take the consequences of their ill-timed joke. Then, 
she feared it might so enrage Miss Partland to know 
of it, that it would make her worse. 

She decided not to tell at present, anyway, and she 
helped the teacher on with her hat and coat, and went 
with her to the door. 

" Tell Mr. Macintosh I am quite ill," she said as 
she went away. And Dolly went to the Principal's 
room to do her bidding. 

" Did Miss Partland say what the trouble was ? " 
asked the surprised man. " Is she subject to these 
attacks?" 

" She didn't say, Mr. Macintosh, and I have never 
known her to be ill before. I think she will be all 
right, to-morrow." 

" You seem to know a great deal for a miss of 
your age! Have you had much experience with 
heart attacks? " 

" I didn't say it was a heart attack," said poor 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

Dolly, torn by her knowledge of what had really 
caused the trouble. 

" It must have been, from what you say. That's 
what I mean, you are too young and inexperienced to 
attend alone on a suffering victim of heart disease. 
Why didn't you call some help?" 

" I did want to, sir, but Miss Partland wouldn't 
let me." 

" You may go. Return to the class and tell them 
they are dismissed. Let them all go to their next 
recitation at the proper time." 

"Yes, Mr. Macintosh." 

" Stop a minute." Dolly turned. " Do you 
know anything more about this affair than you have 
told me?" 

Dolly hesitated. What should she do? She did 
know more about it; she knew of the joke the boys 
had made up, and she felt almost sure that it was 
owing to this foolish jest that Miss Partland had 
imagined she felt ill so vividly, that at last she really 
did feel so. And yet, if Dolly " peached " on the 
boys, she well knew what they would think of her! 
It was a hard position. But, she thought quickly, 
it couldn't help Miss Partland to tell of the joke now, 
and then again the illness might not have been caused 
by the joke after all. Dolly had been so engrossed 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

with her difficult problem that she had not seen the 
successive boys and girls look at Miss Partland with 
such evident sympathy, anxiety and even consterna- 
tion. 

Her hesitation naturally made the Principal think 
she was withholding some information of importance, 
and he said so. 

" No, Mr. Macintosh," said Dolly, firmly ; " I do 
not feel sure that I am. The only thing I know, is 
not positively connected with Miss Partland's ill- 
ness, although it may be. But as I am not sure, I am 
not justified in even speaking of it to you." 

The Principal looked at her attentively. " You're 
a queer child," he said. 

" Yes, I am," replied Dolly, thoughtfully. " But 
I'm trying to see what is my duty, and I can't say 
anything till I find out." 

" At any rate, you're an honest little girl, and I 
don't believe you know anything that you really 
ought to tell, or you'd tell it." 

" Oh, thank you, sir. That's just it. I don't 
think I ought to, or I would" 

Dismissed from the room, Dolly returned to the 
class and told them the lesson would not be resumed 
that day, as Miss Partland had gone home ill. She 
looked reproachfully at the boys who had been ring- 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

leaders in the " joke " and at Celia Fe.rris, too, who 
had also been a party to it. 

But as there were many in the class who knew 
nothing about it, no word was said then and there, 
nor could there be until after school. 

Then Dolly told what had happened. " And to 
think," she concluded, " that Miss Partland was not 
ill at all, but so many remarks on her looking poorly, 
made her think she was, and then she was ! " 

" Pooh, nonsense ! " said Lollie Henry ; " you can't 
make a lady ill by telling her she doesn't look quite 
up to the mark." 

" Yes, you can," declared Dolly. " It's what they 
call auto-suggestion, or something. Just the same 
way, if you tell anybody they look well, why, then 
they get well. I've heard Mother talk about it." 

" Well, then," said Tod Brown, " all we've got to 
do, is to go around to Miss Partland's house and tell 
her she's looking as blooming as a peach ! " 

"Sure!" said Tad. "That's dead easy. Come 
on." 

" No," said Dolly, " you can't rush off like that ! 
You'd probably make her worse." 

" Well, what does she want, then ? " 

" Oh, Tad, you're so silly ! " and Dolly couldn't 
help laughing at him. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

"I think you're silly, Dolly," said Celia. "I 
don't believe it was our joke that upset her, at all. 
I believe she'd been sick anyway." 

" No, she wouldn't. She said she was perfectly 
well this morning. You know, Celia, that it was 
your speeches, one after another, that scared her into 
thinking she was ill. And it was enough to, too! 
Why, I wasn't noticing at the time, I was studying, 
but Dot told me afterward, how you all told her she 
looked so terrible, and you pretended to be scared to 
death!" 

" Well, you said the same thing to her ! " 

" Yes, but I meant it ! By the time I went up to 
the board, you had all frightened her so, she was 
white and shaky-looking. I was sure she was going 
to faint." 

" Yes, Dolly was in earnest," said Dotty. " If 
we did any harm, Doll can't be included. When she 
said that to Miss Partland, it was true. When we 
said it, it wasn't." 

" Oh, I'm not sticking myself up," began Dolly. 
" And I'm not blaming the rest of you. I think it 
was a mean joke, but never mind that now. What 
I'm thinking of is what we ought to do. Seems if 
we ought to set matters right somehow." 

" I don't think so," said Celia. " It's always bet- 



A JOKE AT SCHOOL 

ter to let well enough alone, my mother says. I bet 
that by to-morrow morning, Miss Partland will be 
all right and will have forgotten all about this fool- 
ishness." 

" I bet she will too," said Lollie. " Say, Dolly, 
don't worry over it. It wasn't your fault anyway. 
And I don't believe it will make old Party really ill. 
It couldn't. And it may make her more sweet-tem- 
pered if she thinks she's subject to what d'y' call 
em ? heart attacks." 

" How do you know it was a heart attack?" de- 
manded Dolly. 

" I heard Mr. Macintosh tell another teacher that 
Miss Party had gone home because she had a heart 
attack in the classroom." 

" I don't believe it was her heart at all," said 
Dolly slowly. " Why should any one think so ? It 
was only nervousness, caused by your foolish trick. 
I'm sorry for Miss Partland, If she isn't all right 
to-morrow, I'm going to tell her thje whole story." 

" Meany ! " cried Celia ; " it's awful mean to tell 
tales." 

" Not so mean as to play tricks 1 " retorted Dolly, 
and then she and Dotty had reached their homes, and 
went in, while the others went on their way. 



CHAPTER III 

AN AFTERNOON CALL 

DOLLY worried a good deal over her teacher's illness, 
and when Miss Partland was not at school the next 
day, she decided to go to see her, on the way home. 
The boys tried to dissuade her, but Dolly was firm. 

" No use trying to steer off Dolly Fayre, if she's 
made up her mind," said Lollie Henry. " If she has 
a bee in her bonnet, she sticks to it like a puppy to 
a root." 

They all laughed at this, but Dotty said, earnestly, 
" Don't go, Doll ; you'll have to tell on the boys and 
girls, and that will be awful mean." 

" No, I won't. I've a plan of my own, and I won't 
say a word about your playing a joke, or anything 
about any of you. But I do think, Lollie, and you 
Tad and Tod too, that it's a mean, horrid thing to 
play practical jokes, and I think you ought to be 
told on, but I won't tell on you." 

" Ah, now, Dolly, Towhead Dolly, don't be hard on 
us," said Tad, in such a wheedlesome way that Dolly 
had to laugh. " We didn't mean any real harm, 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

and she has been awfully cross to us, and we're not 
such angels of goodness as you are " 

" I'm not an angel of goodness, Tad Brown, and 
I'll thank you to stop making fun of me ! But I do 
believe in being decent to a teacher, even if she is 
strict in her rules." 

" Come on, Dolly," said Dotty, as they neared the 
street where Miss Partland lived ; " if you're going, 
I'll go with you." 

"Oh, ho!" jeered Lollie, " two little angels of 
goodness, little white angels, with shiny wings ! 
Well, fly into old Party's house, and see what's the 
matter with her, mumps or measles ! " 

The two girls went to the house, and were invited 
to go up to the teacher's room. 

They found Miss Partland, sitting in an easy 
chair, looking disconsolate indeed. 

" How do you do, girls ? " she said, listlessly ; 
" won't you sit down? " 

The two D's sat down, and Dolly said, at once, 
" Oh, I'm glad to see you looking so much better, 
Miss Partland! You're not really ill, are you?" 

" I don't know, Dolly," and the poor lady looked 
sadly distraught. She was not an interesting in- 
valid in appearance. She had on an old grey flannel 
wrapper, and her hair was untidy. A bowl of broth, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

cold, and one or two bottles were on her table, 
and the whole room had an unkempt, uncared-for air. 
" You see," she went on, " I didn't know I had heart 
trouble, and it worries me terribly." 

" Do you know it yet ? " asked Dolly. " Have 
you had a doctor? " 

" I've sent for him, but he hasn't come yet. But 
several people have called or telephoned, and they 
all speak of my heart attack, so I think it must have 
been that." 

Dotty looked very serious, and blushed a little as 
she realised to what a pass their thoughtless joke 
had brought the teacher. 

" Miss Partland," Dolly went on. " I don't be- 
lieve it was your heart, or you'd be sicker now. You 
don't feel bad, do you ? " 

" N-no, I guess not, I can hardly tell." 

" Well, you look real well to me " 

"Oh, do I? I'm glad to hear you say so. I 
thought myself, if it were anything serious, I'd feel 
worse than I do. I haven't any real pain, you 
know." 

" That's good ; and I believe all you want is to 
brace up and forget it. Forget that little bother of 
yesterday, I mean." 

"Say, Miss Partland," broke in Dotty, "won't 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

you let me do your hair in a new way that I've just 
tried on mother's? I often do her hair for her, and 
she says it rests her a lot. And this new way " 

" Mercy, child, I never had anybody touch ray; 
hair in my life ! " 

" Then you don't know how it helps. Just let 
me try. Where's your comb? and hairpins? Oh, 
here they are. No, don't face the mirror, I want 
you to be surprised." 

Dotty bustled around, and almost before Miss 
Partland knew it, she was having her hair dressed 
by the skilful little hands. The hair was not long or 
luxurious, but it was of fine texture, and when re- 
leased from the tight little knob it was wound in, 
proved slightly wavy. Dot made the most of it, 
and drawing it up in a soft French twist, she puffed 
it out at the sides, and made a most becoming and 
transforming coiffure. 

" There ! " she said, " you're real pretty now, and 
I'd like to see anybody say you look sick ! " 

Miss Partland looked in the glass and was as- 
tounded. The unwonted performance had brought 
the colour to her cheeks, and interest to her eyes, 
and when she saw the whole effect in the mirror, she 
fairly beamed with delight. 

" Now, haven't you a nicer kimono, or dressing 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

gown? This isn't very pretty for afternoon, and 
the doctor coming and all." 

Miss Partland looked amazed. "I never thought 
about it," she said ; " I haven't any other, or, that 
is yes, I have one my sister sent me for Christ- 
mas, but I've never worn it. It's too nice." 

"Mayn't we see it?" 

Miss Partland went to the closet and brought out 
a big box. From it she took a beautiful Japanese 
kimono of pale blue silk, embroidered with pink 
chrysanthemums. 

" There," she said, " you see I couldn't wear 
that." 

"Why not?" cried Dolly. "It's lovely! And 
it just suits your blonde colouring." 

This was stretching the point a little, for Miss 
Partland's blondeness was of the type known as ash, 
and her faded complexion and dull light blue eyes 
hardly deserved the name of colouring. 

But Dolly was sincere, and she meant to make the 
most of what little natural vanity the lady pos- 
sessed. 

"Yes, indeed," chimed in Dotty. "That's too 
pretty to be buried in an old dark closet! Put it 
on, quick, before the doctor gets here ! " 

A little bewildered, Miss Partland hurried into 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

the robe, and the girls were astounded at the becom- 
ingness of it. 

" Well, well ! " cried Dotty. " Try our plans, and 
you will be surprised at the result ! Why, Miss Part- 
land, you're a hummer! A regular peach! Isn't 
she, Doll?" 

" Yes-sir-ee ! " And Dolly patted the blue silk ap- 
provingly. Then they wound the blue sash, that be- 
longed to the robe, round about her, and tucked the 
ends in in Chinese fashion. 

" You must put that on every day after school, 
said Dotty, " it's lovely on you." 

" But it's too nice. I never dreamed of wearing 
it" 

" No matter, just you wear it, and when it's worn 
out I spect sister '11 give you another." 

" Of course she would, she's awfully fond of me." 

" She'd be fonder, if she could see you now. 
Clothes make a heap of difference," and Dotty 
nodded her head sagely. " My goodness, here's the 
doctor! I hear his automobile stopping. Yes, it 
is," as she peeped from the window. " Shall we go 
home, Miss Partland? " 

" No, just go in the next room, and after he's 
gone, I'll tell you what he said." 

" Oh, thank you, I do want to know," said Dolly, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

and the two ran into the next room and shut the 
door. 

A little time later, Miss Partland opened the door 
and summoned them. She was smiling and so happy 
looking that she was almost pretty, a word rarely 
used in connection with the Geometry teacher. 

" Come in, girls," she said. " The doctor says 
I have no heart trouble of any sort, and that I am 
as sound as a dollar ! " 

" Did he say what ailed you yesterday ? " 

" He said I was probably nervous over some trifle, 
but he said it had left no trace, for my nerves are 
all right now. And, what do you think? He said 
that as I had enough interest in life to take some 
pains with my toilette, I was in no danger of nervous 
prostration! And just think! Before you two 
came in, I was wondering whether I'd better go to a 
sanitarium ! " 

"Oh, Miss Partland! Not really!" 

" Yes, really. I thought my whole nervous sys- 
tem was shattered. Everybody said I looked so ill, 
and they gave me such commiserating glances " 

" Well, they won't any more," interrupted Dotty, 
who was cut to the soul by these remarks. Well 
she knew whose suggestions and whose glances had 
brought about the sad state of things. 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

" And now," said practical Dolly, " I'm going to 
straighten up this room a little. You may have 
more callers." 

She whisked away the bowl and bottles into the 
bathroom. She straightened the shades, dusted a 
little, and with a few deft touches here and there, 
she made the room tidy and neat. She found a glass 
vase which she washed, and setting it on the table, 
said, " We must go now, Miss Partland, but I'm 
going to send you a few flowers, and I want you to 
put them in this vase, and set them right here on the 
table, will you ? " 

" Indeed I will, you dear child. You're dear lit- 
tle girls, both, and I can't tell you how grateful I 
am to you for your pleasant call. I can't promise 
to wear this elaborate gown every day, but I will 
buy myself one that is more presentable than the 
one I had on when you came." 

" And have it pretty, Miss Partland," begged 
Dolly ; " pretty things keep you from getting 
sick." 

" I wonder if they do, you little rascal ; how do 
you know? " 

" Well, maybe they wouldn't keep you from get- 
ting chicken pox, they didn't me, but I'm just sure 
they're good for nervous prostration." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" I shouldn't wonder a bit," and Miss Partland 
smiled brightly as she bade the girls good-bye. 

" Now I'm going to get her some flowers," said 
Dolly as they reached the street. " I haven't much 
left of my allowance, but I can get her half a dozen 
carnations or two roses. Which would you, Dot? " 

" Carnations, I guess. They last longer. I'm 
going to get her a couple of fruits. Say, a grape- 
fruit and an orange, how's that? " 

" Fine ! I'm glad you thought of it. It'll cheer 
her a lot. I say, Dot, we did do her some good." 

" 1 should say we did ! But it was all your doing, 
I just 'went along." 

" Nonsense ! You did as much as I did. Why, 
I don't know how you ever thought of fussing up her 
hair ! It was just the thing, but it never would have 
occurred to me." 

" I dunno myself how I happened to think of it. 
But her old head looked so frowsy and untidy, I 
wanted to see if it would make a difference. And it 
did ! " 

" I should say so ! Here's the fruit store. Go- 
ing in? " 

" Yes, come on." 

They went in, and Dotty made a judicious selec- 
tion of two oranges and a bunch of white grapes, 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

as they were not sure Miss Partland cared for grape- 
fruit. 

" And if any one doesn't like it," said Dotty, mak- 
ing a wry face, " they don't like it all over ! / can't 
abide it ! " 

" I love it," returned Dolly, " but as you say, 
Dot, if people don't like it they don't. Grapes are 
much safer. Now, come on to the flower shop." 

A half dozen carnations of an exquisite shade were 
available for the money Dolly had, and it was with 
great satisfaction she saw them put in a box and 
sent off at once to Miss Partland. 

" I say, Dolly, you're an awful trump ! " declared 
Dotty, as they walked along. " I never should have 
thought of going to fix things up with old Party. 
And now, I'm awful glad we did. Why is it, you 
always have these good thinks and I never do ? " 

" I dunno. Sometimes it makes me mad though 
when the boys call me goody-goody. And Celia 
Ferris said I was a spoilsport. That isn't very nice 
to be called, Dot, is it? " 

" No ; but you always come out all right. You 
see, I'm full of the dickens, and when the boys want 
me to cut up jinks, I go into it head over heels with- 
out thinking. You hesitate, and think it over and 
then you do the right thing." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Oh, I don't know. Sometimes I think maybe I 
am an old Primmy, as Tad calls me. Hello, here's 
Tad now." 

Tad Brown met them as he came flying round a 
corner, closely followed by his twin brother Tod. 

"Hello, girls," Tad called out. "Been to old 
Party's? How is she? " 

" She's all right," and Dolly laughed gaily. 
" She's had the doctor and he says her heart's sound 
as a dollar. So you see your old joke didn't hurt 
her, after all." 

"But it would have," put in Dotty, "if Doll 
hadn't gone there and chirked her up, and told her 
she wasn't sick at all." 

" You went too," said Dolly, laughing. 

" Oh, 'course. Whithersoever thou goest, there- 
soever will I also went. And say, boys, you've got 
to be gooder'n pie to-morrow, and every day, to 
make up to old Party for your badness. She's a 
funny old thing, but she's nice, and since I've seen 
her at home, I feel different toward her, more inti- 
mate like and sorry for her." 

"All right," said Tad, heartily. "I'm ready to 
be good. I'm pretty well ashamed of that old joke 
business, since it turned out so badly." 

" Me, too," and Tod shook his head. " I thought 



AN AFTERNOON CALL 

it was funny at first, but it didn't pan out well. I'll 
never play another joke on anybody! any way, not 
till the next time. Going to the High School Dance, 
girls?" 

" Yes, indeedy ! " and Dolly's eyes glistened. 
" Won't it be fun? It is the first time I've ever been 
to an evening party." 

" Go with me ? " and Tod paused in the street, and 
swept his best dancing-school bow. 

" Gracious, I don't know," said Dolly, overcome 
at this sudden grown-upness. *' I don't believe 
mother will let me go with a boy." 

" Oh, yes, she will," said Tad. " Just to a school 
dance. You go with Tod, Dolly; and, Dot, you go 
with me, and then we'll be all in the same boat." 

" I'd like to," said Dolly, but I'm sure mother 
won't let me. What do you think, Dot ? " 

" I think my mother will muchly object at first, 
but I think I can coax her into it." 

" Why, all the girls will go with the boys," said 
Tad eagerly. " They always do. You see our 
bunch has never been in High School before, and 
when we're in Rome we must do as the Turkeys do." 

" Who is going with who else, that you know of? " 

" Oh, Celia Ferris is going with Lollie Henry, and 
Joe Collins " 



"Well, what about Joe Collins? " asked Dolly. 

" Oh, nothin'." 

"Yes, there is, too; what made you stop short? " 

" Well, if you must know, he said he was going to 
ask you." 

" Oh, do you boys talk it all over, about who 
you'll take, I mean? " 

" Sure we do," said Tod, grinning. " I gave Joe 
my new knife if he'd let me ask you first." 

" You didn't ! " and Dolly looked shocked. 

"No, of course he didn't!" said Tad. "Don't 
you let him fool you, Dolly." 

The quartette had walked along to the Fayres' 
house, and the boys wanted to go in and see how 
the house was coming on. But Dolly wouldn't allow 
this, as she said she must study her lessons. 

" And you must all go home and study," she said 
shaking her golden head at them. " I want you to 
have good lessons to-morrow, and cheer Miss Party 
up." 

" I'll tell her she's looking blooming," said Tad, 
laughing over his shoulder as he went away. 

" I'll tell her she's a perfect peach ! " declared 
Tod, and then with gay good-byes they parted. 



CHAPTER IV 

THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

" OH, I don't know," said Mrs. Fayre, doubtfully, 
when Dolly asked her about going to the dance with 
Tod. " You're not old enough to go to an evening 
party with an escort. Why, you're only fifteen." 

" But this is a school party, Mumsie, and it seems 
different." 

" I think so, too," said Trudy. " I went to High 
School parties with the boys when I was fifteen, 
or sixteen, anyway." 

" But sixteen seems so much older. Why, Dolly's 
wearing hair-ribbons yet." 

" Well," and Trudy laughed, " they'll allow hair 
ribbons at a High School dance. Why, Mother, it's 
part of the course, in a way. It teaches the boys 
and girls how to behave in Society " 

" Dolly can learn that at home." 

" Not unless she has lots of parties and dances, 
I mean party manners." 

" Well, I'm willing she should go, but I don't like 
her going with Tod Brown." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Why, he's an awfully nice boy. The Browns 
are among the best people of Berwick." 

"I know that, Trudy, Tod's all right. But I 
think your father ought to take Dolly and go after 
her." 

" Oh, Mother, they don't do that nowadays. But 
Dolly can go in our car, and stop for Tod, that 
would be all right. And Thomas could go and bring 
them home." 

" That seems to me a very queer way to do. But 
we'll see what your father says about it." 

Mr. Fayre, appealed to, was helpless. 

" Why, bless my soul, Edith," he said to his wife, 
" I don't know about such things. When I was a 
boy, we went hne with the girls, of course. But 
nowadays I suppose the ways are different. You 
women folks ought to be able to settle that ques- 
tion." 

" They are, Daddy," said Dolly, sidling up to him, 
and patting his hand. " But I'd just as lieve you'd 
take me, if you want the bother of it." 

" I don't mind the bother, Chickadee, if it's neces- 
sary. But when you do get old enough to let the 
Brownies take you to parties, I shan't be sorry ! " 

"Well, now, I'll settle the matter," said Mrs. 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

Fayre, smiling at her younger daughter. " This 
time, let Daddy take you, and the next time we'll see 
about it. You are growing up, I suppose, and, too, 
one has to do as other people do. But this first 
dance, I'd rather you went with father." 

" All right, Mumsie, I'm willing. I don't s'pose 
it'll be much of a party anyhow. Just the school 
girls and boys, you know." 

" Oh, I don't know," said Trudy. " When I went 
to High, dances were pretty nice affairs. What 
shall she wear ? " 

" I don't know," replied Mrs. Fayre. " I'll have 
to ask the mothers of some of the other girls how 
much they dress. A white frock, I should think, with 
some flowers or ribbons." 

Dolly was satisfied with the outcome of the dis- 
cussion, but quite another scene was being enacted 
next door. 

" I'm going to the High School Dance with Tad 
Brown," Dotty announced at the dinner table. 

" You'll do nothing of the sort," returned her 
mother. " A child of your age going out in the 
evening with a boy escort ! Ridiculous ! " 

" But I am" went on Dotty, decidedly. " Dolly's 
going with Tod, and I'm going with Tad." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Did Dolly *s mother say she might? " 

" I dunno. But we're going. And I want a new 
red chiffon to wear." 

" Red chiffon ! You'd look fine in red chiffon at 
your age ! Now, be sensible, Dotty, if you go to that 
dance, you must let your father take you, and you 
must wear one of your white summer dresses." 

" But, Mother, all the girls are going to have new 
dresses. Celia Ferris is going to have a white 
satin " 

" A white satin ! for a High School girl ! How 
absurd ! " 

" Well, I don't want white satin, but I do want a 
new dress. Can't I have it, Father? " 

" Now, now, Dotty, don't tease." 

"But, Father, can't I?" 

" Why, / should think you might. You're a nice 
little girl. But, of course, it must be as mother 
says." 

" Say, yes, Mother, do say yes. Won't you, 
Mother? Won't you? Aunt Clara, you beg her to, 
won't you? Won't you, Aunt Clara? " 

" Good gracious, child, stop teasing," and Mr. 
Rose glowered at Dotty so very fiercely, that she 
knew he was not in earnest. 

" Stop teasing, Dotty," said Genie, her little sis- 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

ter. " You know very well that teasing won't get 
what you want." 

Genie looked so comical, as she shook her fat little 
forefinger at Dotty, that they all laughed. 

" Cry, that's the bestest way," Genie went on. 
" If you cry hard enough, you're sure to get it." 

" That's all right for little kiddies like you, Gene, 
but big girls don't cry. They just say what they 
want, and then if their parents are nice, loving, af- 
fectionate, good-hearted people, I should think they 
would get their wishes." 

"Well put, Dottikins," cried her father. "I 
guess, Mother, the little girl will have to have her 
new furbelows. Of course, you'll get something suit- 
able. Say, a nice blue gingham." 

Dotty smiled absently at this mild jest, and went 
on, her first point gained, to her second. 

" And I want to go with Tad. I don't want to 
go with father, like a baby. All the girls are going 
with the boys. Celia Ferris is going with Lollie 
Henry " 

" That question must wait, Dorothy," and when 
Mrs. Rose used that name, Dotty knew she was very 
much in earnest. " I'm comparatively new in Ber- 
wick, and I must find out what the other mothers 
think about it before I decide. Now, stop teasing; 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

after I confer with some of the ladies I'll decide. 
I don't think much of Celia Ferris as a model. And 
I'm by no means sure Dolly's mother will let her go 
with Tod. So you must wait and see." 

Dotty knew from her mother's manner there was 
no use teasing any more, so she turned her attention 
back to her frock. 

" Well, if it can't be red chiffon, Mother, can't it 
be red organdie ? " 

"We'll see about it. If you're so bent on a red 
dress, perhaps we can hunt one up." Mrs. Fayre 
smiled at her impetuous daughter, and Dotty felt 
sure she had secured a red gown, at least. 

The two neighbouring mothers talked matters 
over, and it was finally decided that the girls should 
not be allowed to go to the party with the boys this 
time, but perhaps they might later in the season. 
For the dances were occasional, and sometimes there 
were three or four during the winter. It was ar- 
ranged that Mr. Fayre should take the two D's 
and that Mr. Rose should go to bring them home, 
after the dance was over. 

But new dresses were allowed, and Dotty's of red 
organdie, and Dolly's of white organdie and blue 
ribbons, were both pretty and appropriate. 

They had new party cloaks, too, the first they 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

had ever owned, and it made them feel exceedingly 
grown-up to have them flung round their shoulders. 
Dolly's was of light blue cashmere, edged with swans- 
down, and Dotty's was of scarlet cloth, bordered 
with a quilling of black satin. Hats were out of 
the question, and Mrs. Fayre presented each of the 
girls with a little lace scarf to wear on her head. 

Very pretty they looked, as, all equipped at last, 
they got into the Fayre car, and rolled away. Mr. 
Fayre gave them alternately, compliments on their 
appearance and advice as to how to behave. 

" Why, Dads," said Dolly, laughing, " any one 
would think we had never been out before." 

" Well, you haven't ; that is, to a real evening 
party." 

" No, but we went to a dance down at Surfwood, 
it can't be so very different." 

" No, I suppose not," re j oined Mr. Fayre, and 
then they were at the School. 

The dance was held in the big Assembly Room, 
and the Committee had decorated it with flowers and 
palms, so that it had a gala air indeed. The girls 
went to the cloak room, and as they emerged, the 
Brown twins met them. Such dressy Brown twins! 
And indeed, everybody looked different from the 
schoolmates they were. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

*' Hello," said Tad ; " come on, you're late. The 
girls are getting their cards all filled up. Here are 
yours." 

The two D's took their Dance Programmes a little 
shyly. They had never had them before, for this 
was their first real Dance Party. 

" S'pose nobody asks me to dance ! " said Dotty, 
in a sudden fit of shyness. 

" Oh, nonsense ! " cried Dolly, " everybody'll ask 
you." 

" You should worry ! " exclaimed Tad, looking at 
his pretty partner with an appreciative eye. " Here, 
give me both your cards. I want a lot of dances 
that I can manage. Pm not much on the fancy 
steps." 

He took the cards and began scribbling his ini- 
tials. 

" Stop ! " said Dotty, laughing ; " you're taking 
too many, Tad." 

" Oh, ho ! and you were so 'fraid nobody'd ask 
you! You're a sly-boots." 

" Well, I want a few left, if anybody should ask," 
and even as she spoke, several of the boys came 
clustering round her and Dolly, and very soon their 
cards were well filled. 

Then the fun began. The two D's were both 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

good dancers, and as nearly all the young people 
went to the Berwick Dancing School, they had plenty 
of good partners. After each dance they walked 
about the room or sat and chatted. 

To Dolly's surprise there were a great many 
strangers present. For, contrary to the ideas of 
the elder Fayres and Roses, nearly all the girls did 
come with boy escorts, and as many girls were not 
invited by the schoolboys, they asked friends from 
out of town. There were also girl guests from neigh- 
bouring cities, and altogether, the affair was quite 
large. 

Celia Ferris had her white satin, but it was veiled 
with soft white tulle, and made a very pretty, girl- 
ish dance-frock. 

Celia was chummy with the two D's, but she had 
begun to feel a little jealous of them, for they were 
exceedingly popular, and received a great deal of 
attention. However, she was pleasant-mannered, 
and spoke cordially with them whenever they met. 

After a time Dolly noticed a girl, who seemed 
to be a wall-flower. She was a nice-looking and 
well-dressed girl, but she danced very seldom, and 
most of the time sat discontentedly looking at the 
others. 

There were some other wall-flowers, as is always 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

the case, but none were so frequently left partner- 
less as this particular girl. 

" Who is she ? " asked Dolly of Lollie Henry, with 
whom she happened to be dancing. 

" Oh, that's Bernice Forbes. She's a muff." 

" Don't be rude, Lollie. What do you mean, a 
muff? " 

" Nothing, only she hasn't any go to her, any 
life, any vim, you know." 

" But she might, if she were asked to dance oftener. 
Have you asked her ? " 

** Not much ! I don't dance with B. Forbes, when 
I can get anybody else." 

" That isn't very nice of you," and Dolly looked 
reproachfully at her partner. " W 7 on't you ask her 
once, just to please me? " 

" I'd do a lot to please you, sister, but B. F. is a 
little too much. Hello, they're going to supper. 
Who'd you come with? Tad or Tod? " 

" I'm supposed to have come with Tod. But 
really my father brought me." 

" I know. It's all the same. The Brownies 
picked you up after you got there, you and Dot. 
And here comes Tod after you, I must fly to seek 
my own special." 

Lollie went off, and Tod escorted Dolly to the 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

supper room. The feast was not grand, as High 
School affairs are limited, but everybody enjoyed 
it. The D's and the Browns found a place in a pleas- 
ant alcove, and were joined by Celia Ferris and the 
Rawlins girls and a lot more of their particular 
friends. 

Dolly noticed Bernice Forbes, sitting apart from 
the rest. With her was a boy Dolly did not know. 

" Who is he? " she whispered to Joe Collins. 

" Dunno. Some chap the Forbes girl brought. Of 
course no Berwick boy would ask her." 

"Why not?" 

" Stick. Can't say boo to a goose ! " 

" Is that the reason the Berwick boys don't want 
to talk to her ? " asked Dolly mischievously, and Joe 
laughed. 

" Honest, Dolly, she's fearful. Just a lump, you 
know. But don't you know her? " 

" Never did till I went to High. She was at an- 
other Grammar School from the one I went to. She 
dresses well." 

" She ought to. Her father is the richest man in 
Berwick." 

" Oh, is she the daughter of Mr. Forbes, the rail- 
road man? " 

" She sure is. Now do you know her better ? " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

"I should say so! Why, my father is in one of 
the offices of Mr. Forbes' company." 

"That so? Well, steer clear of the fair Ber- 
nice, believe me ! " 

And then the sandwiches and ice cream and cakes 
arrived, and the healthy young appetites did full 
justice to them. 

" Tell us all about your new house, Dotty," some- 
body was saying. 

" 'Tisn't mine any more than Dolly Fayre's. It 
belongs to us jointly and severally, as my father 
says." 

" When will it be finished? " 

" In a couple of weeks now, I guess. We're go- 
ing to have a Hallowe'en party to open it. I hope 
you'll all come." 

" Is this the invitation ? " said Clayton Rawlins ; 
" if so, I accept." 

" Oh, no, this isn't the regular invitation. That 
will come later." 

" You can't have a very big party," said Celia. 
" The house won't hold very many." 

" It's going to be a mixed-around party," ex- 
plained Dolly. " Some of it will be in our two own 
houses and some in Treasure House." 



THE HIGH SCHOOL DANCE 

" Is that what you call it ? How pretty," and 
Grace Rawlins smiled at Dolly. 

" Yes, Treasure House, because it's our treasure 
and because we're going to keep our treasures in it. 
Oh, it's going to be the greatest fun ! You must all 
come over and see it. Don't wait for Hallowe'en. 
Come any time." 

After supper there were a few more dances before 
going home time. 

With some interest, Dolly watched the Forbes girl. 
She danced a few times with the boy with her and 
the rest of the time she sat alone. 

Reggie Stuart came to Dolly for a dance. 

" Say, Reg," she said, " won't you let me off of 
this, and go and dance it with Bernice Forbes ? " 

" Will I ! Not ! What's the matter, don't you 
want to dance with me ? " 

" Yes, of course. It isn't that, but but she 
looks lonely." 

" Good work ! She ought to look lonely. It's 
her own fault, Dolly." 

"Her own fault, how?" 

" Oh, she doesn't try to be gay and perky and 
smiley and laughy, like, well, like you are. But 
if you don't want me for a partner " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Oh, ridiculous, Reg ! Of course I do. Come 
on." 

They danced away, and for that night at least, 
Dolly gave up trying to get the boys to dance with 
Bernice. Reginald was not the first one she had 
asked, nor the second; but one and all they had re- 
fused. 



CHAPTER V 

TREASURE HOUSE 

AT last the day came when Treasure House was 
finished. Painted, papered, furnished, it now lacked 
only the finishing touches that the eager hands of 
the Two D's were ready to give. 

A Saturday was to be devoted to this fascinating 
work, and bright and early, Dotty and Dolly were 
signalling each other from their bedroom windows 
that the time had arrived. 

Rather slim and very hurried were their break- 
fasts, and very abstracted and absentminded their 
conversation. 

" Dot," said Mr. Rose, " do have a little scrap 
more of this nice bacon." 

Dotty looked at her father, unseeing, and letting 
her gaze rove to her mother, she said, " Which cen- 
trepiece would you put on the table first, Aunt Clara's 
or the one Trudy made? " 

" Use mine first," spoke up Aunt Clara, " for 
Trudy's is much handsomer, and you'd better keep 
it for a party occasion." 

" That's so," and Dotty nodded her head. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Meanwhile, Mr. Rose had sat patiently, serving 
fork and spoon held over the dish of curly, crisp 
bacon and golden eggs. " I asked you a question, 
Dotty," he said, in an injured tone. 

Again Dotty gave him that blank stare. " And, 
Mother," she went on, " if you'd just as lieve we'd 
have that blue Japanese table mat, for the Study 
table,- I'll take it over with me. When I " 

" Dorothy Rose," said her father, with mock se- 
verity, " am I to hold this fork all day ? Will you, 
or will you not, have some bacon? " 

"What? Have what? Oh, Daddy, did you 
bring the screw hooks home last night? You didn't 
forget to get them, did you ? " 

" Bacon ! Bacon ! Bacon! " shouted Mr. Rose. 
" I said bacon 1 " 

"And the doormat, you promised to order the 
doormat, Father " 

Bacon!" 

" The fire sets came " 

"Bacon!" 

" Oh, how you made me jump ! No, I don't want 
any bacon, I had some I think. Anyway, I'm 
through breakfast, aren't you, Dad? Do hurry 
up. I want you to go over with me oh, there's 
Doll!" 



TREASURE HOUSE 

Dolly came in, her arms full of things for the 
house. 

" I didn't want to go in without you, Dot," she 
said. " Goodness, aren't you through breakfast 
yet ? I couldn't eat a thing, hardly." 

" Sit down here, and have some bacon, Dolly," 
said Mr. Rose, hospitably. 

" Dad, if you say bacon again, I'll just perfectly 
fly! Dolly doesn't want any, do you, Doll? " 

"No, 'course not! I mean no, thank you, Mr. 
Rose. Oh, we can't wait another minute. Come on, 
Dot ! " 

Dotty grabbed up some things she had ready to 
take, and the two flew out of the side door and over 
tc Treasure House. 

It was a gorgeous morning in late October, and 
as the house faced the south, the sun was already 
flooding the front piazza of their new domain. Each 
girl had a key, and as they went up the steps, Dolly 
began hunting in her coat pocket for hers. 

" Old Slowy ! " cried Dotty, and, her own key al- 
ready in her hand, she snapped it into the lock, and 
threw open the door. 

" Will you walk into my parlour, said the flyder to 
the spy ! " and with a flourish she stood aside for 
Dolly to enter. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" No, we must go in together. Why, Dot, this 
first entrance ought to be a rite, a a ceremonial, 
you know." 

" Ceremonial, your grandmother ! Come on in ! " 
and grabbing Dolly's arm, the two bounced in, spilling 
their parcels, and laughing so hard that there was 
small suggestion of ceremony. 

They fell breathless, in the two easy chairs that 
stood either side of the fireplace, and just grinned 
at each other. 

" The day's come 1 " exclaimed Dotty ; " we're 
really here ! Oh, Doll, can you believe it ? " 

" No, I simpully can't! It's too good to be true! 
Now, shall we light a fire, or fix things up first ? " 

" How far have you progressed ? " asked a voice 
at the door, and Mr. Rose came in, smiling. " Want 
any help? I've half an hour to spare. Can I start 
a fire for you? " 

" Oh, do, Dad! And show us just how, and then 
we can do it ourselves after this." 

" Pooh," said Dolly, " I know how to make a fire, 
I learned long ago. But it would be better to have 
Mr. Rose make the first one, and see if the chimney 
draws all right." 

Dolly looked up the flue with the air of a connois- 



TREASURE HOUSE 

seur on fireplaces, and Mr. Rose laughed good na- 
turedly at her. 

" The secret of a successful fire is plenty of paper 
and kindling-wood," he said, as he twisted newspapers 
into hard rolls. Then he added light sticks and 
finally good-sized logs, and declared the fire was 
laid. 

" Now the lighting of this, your first hearth fire, 
should be a ceremony," he said. 

" There, Dotty, I told you we ought to have a 
ceremony ! Which of us will light it ? " 

" Both together, of course. Give us each a match, 
Dad." 

Mr. Rose gave each of the girls a match, and as 
they were about to strike them, he showed them where 
to touch the protruding ends of paper, which he had 
purposely arranged. 

"Now," he said, "One, Two, Three, Go! May 
joy attend all who surround the Hearthstone fires of 
Treasure House ! " 

The matches blazed, caught the paper, ignited 
the kindling, and flames shot up with a glow and a 
crackle. 

It was an exciting moment for the two girls. They 
fell into each other's arms, and while Dotty was shout- 



ing " Hooray ! " at the top of her lungs, the tears 
were rolling down Dolly's cheeks. 

" You Goosie ! " cried Dotty. " What under the 
sun are you crying about ? " 

" 'Cause I'm so happy. And anyway, it's my own 
house, I've got a right to cry in it, if I want to." 

But she was smiling now, the tense moment had 
passed, and together they danced wildly round the 
room. 

" I'll have to be going," said Mr. Rose, looking at 
his watch, " you two Apache Indians had better calm 
down and get to work. There's a lot to be done, I'm 
thinking." 

" But we've got all our lives to do it in," said Dolly, 
laughing. " There's no hurry, and I must get my 
eyes used to it a little first." 

Mr. Rose went off, and the two girls stood looking 
about, as if they never could look enough. 

And this is what they saw. The Study, flooded 
with the Autumn sunlight, and bright with the blazing 
fire. Walls hung with plain paper of a lovely greyish 
green, with a bordering frieze of foliage in darker 
shades. Windows curtained with green silk over lace 
bordered scrim. Two wide window-seats, at opposite 
sides of the room, cushioned in green, and provided 
with many soft, ample-sized green cushions. The 

ceo:}- 



TREASURE HOUSE 

woodwork was white, the low bookshelves were white, 
and the furniture was Mission. 

The two desks had arrived, and were placed at the 
two ends of the room. Theoretically, the whole room 
was divided in halves, Dolly owning the side toward 
her home, and Dotty the side toward hers. Under the 
window seats were little cupboards for school books, 
and besides, there was a roomy coat-closet for each, 
with shelves and hooks. 

A big table in the middle of the room held an elec- 
trolier, and each girl was to fill her side of the table 
with such books or bric-a-brac as she saw fit. Alto- 
gether, it was the cosiest, homiest, dearest room a 
girl ever had to study or play in, and it thoroughly 
satisfied the Two D's. 

" Now let's gaze on the dining-room," said Dolly. 
" I haven't seen it since last night." 

Arms round each other, they went to the next 
room. That, of course, was a north room, and so it 
had been furnished in yellow. The yellow wallpaper, 
with a border of daffodils, was like sunshine, and the 
chairs and table were of yellow painted wood. The 
curtains were of thin yellow silk, and the glass door 
of the cupboard showed a set of yellow china. A big 
yellow bowl, of Chinese ware, had been Mrs. Fayre's 
especial gift ; though the parents and relatives had all 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

contributed generously to the furnishings. Bob and 
Bert had sent gifts ; one a clock and one a picture. 

Their pictures were few, as yet, for the girls didn't 
want the discarded ones in their home attics, and pre- 
ferred to wait till time should bring some good ones 
as Christmas or birthday gifts. 

" You see," said Dolly, as they talked this over, 
" we don't want to get it all finished at once, or 
we'll have nothing to look forward to. Let's do it 
slowly, by degrees, and get first, just what we have 
to have." 

" Yes," agreed Dotty, " only I'm so impatient, I 
can't wait to do things slowly. I wish I could just 
wave my hand, and everything would be finished ! " 

" Goosie ! Well, let's go to work, and do up what's 
to be done right now. Mother's coming over pretty 
soon, and I want her to see it looking nice. I'll make 
the dining-room fire, or don't we need one? " 

" Not yet, Doll. We'll be flying round, working, 
and that will keep us warm. Let's not light it till 
afternoon." 

" All right. Come on and gaze at the kitchen." 

The kitchenette was a dream in shining nickel and 
white enamel. Mr. Fayre was a busy man, and 
hadn't the time to devote to the children that Mr. 
Rose could command, so he had insisted on making up 



TREASURE HOUSE 

by putting in the entire electrical outfit. There was 
provision for cooking, toasting, coffee-making, candy- 
making, and some contraptions of which the girls did 
not yet know the use. 

A small, but complete kitchen cabinet contained 
everything the most fastidious housekeeper could de- 
sire, and a wall cupboard held a supply of neatly 
hemmed dish towels, dusters and such matters. 

" Isn't it great ! " exclaimed Dolly. " That white 
enamelled sink is dainty enough for a fairy's bath! 
And do observe this corn-popper ! " 

" And this glass lemon-squeezer ! Let's make some 
lemonade now 1 " 

" Oh, not now! It's just after breakfast." 

" Well, it's eleven o'clock, just the same." 

" It is ! Whew ! we must fly round. Don't talk 
about lemonade, Dot; let's put our books on their 
shelves, and fix the mantel and table." 

" All right, say we do." 

A basket of trinkets from each house stood waiting, 
and the two unpacked and placed their treasures. 
Such absorbing work as it was ! No very valuable 
things had been brought, lest light-fingered gentry 
should prowl round some dark night, but lots of 
pretty things were available. 

" 'Course we divide the mantel, same's everything 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

else," observed Dolly, as she came, with a tiny ivory 
elephant and a larger teakwood one. " Let's put 
Bert's clock in the middle, and then each fix our own 
half. I've just got to have my two dearie efelunts 
here, and the brass candlestick Grandma gave me. 
There, I think that's enough for my end." 

" Looks awful skinny. I've a lot of stuff for my 
half. See; this pair of vases, and this plaster cast 
of Dante, and this big white china cat, and this ink- 
stand " 

" Oh, Dot, don't put an inkstand up there ! Put 
that on your desk." 

" Oh, it isn't a using inkstand. It's just a show 
one. Aunt Clara gave it to me last Christmas. See, 
it's iridescent glass." 

" I know it is, but it looks like fury up there, and 
your end is too crowded, anyway." 

" Pooh, I think yours is too skimpy. Looks awful 
vacant, with nothing but two elephants and a candle- 
stick!" 

" But it's right not to have such a lot of dinky 
doodaddles all over the place. Your end looks like 
a junk shop ! " 

But, imperturbably, Dotty added a big, pink-lined 
conch shell and a fussy beribboned calendar. " I like 
what I like, Dolly Fayre, and I've as much right to fill 



TREASURE HOUSE 

up my space as you have to waste yours. You might 
rent out a few square feet to me." 

" 'Deed I won't ! Dot, that bunch of rubbish is 
fierce ! All the girls will laugh at it." 

" Let 'em, I don't care. I've had that shell ever 
since I was a tiny mite. It's my oldest treasure." 

" Your old-f ashionedest, you mean. Say, Dot, 
weed out half of those frights, and I'll give you one 
of my candlesticks. They'd look fine at each end." 

" No-sir-ee ! I insist on my rights, my whole 
rights and nothing but my rights ! E pluribus unum, 
Erin go bragh ! " 

Dotty executed a species of war dance, and shook 
her fist defiantly at DoUy, who was standing off, ad- 
miring her end of the mantel and making wry faces 
at Dotty's. 

Suddenly Dolly broke into laughter. " We'll have 
these scraps all the time, Dot, so I s'pose we may as 
well make up our minds to let each other do as we 
please." 

" I like your grammar, and I agree to your die 
die what do you call it ? " 

"Dictum?" 

" Yes, dictum. Only you needn't try to dictum 
me! We're joint monarchs of all we survey, and we 
must let each other survey in our own way. I think 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

my mantel layout is pretty fine. If you don't I can't 
help it." 

" No," sighed Dolly, " and you can't help having 
awful taste in decoration, either." 

" Taste is a matter of opinion, and I opine that 
my mantel looks as good as yours, only different." 

Then both girls grinned at each other, and 
the peace was unbroken. But the mantel did look 
funny ! 

" Now for our books. Thank goodness, we haven't 
got to share our bookshelves, and we can fix the 
things as we like." 

" We did on the mantel," said Dolly, laughing. 
" Well, my nonsense books go above, and my girls' 
books below. * Alice ' first ; then * Lear,' and then 
the ' Just so Stories.' ' 

" Well, of course, I'm doing mine different. I'm 
putting my highbrow books up top. Shakespeare 
first, and then " 

" Don't say Milton ! You know you'll never read 
those things out here, or anywhere, except when you 
have to write themes on them ! " 

" But amn't I going to write themes out here ? 
What are our desks for, I'd like to know ? " 

" Yes, I s'pose so. Oh, well, fix your books as 
you like ; you will anyway." 

C662- 




"I'm putting my highbrow books up top' 



TREASURE HOUSE 

" 'Course I will. And I hereby give you permission 
to do the same." 

" Thank you, oh, thank you ! It's tiresome work, 
isn't it?" 

" Jiminy ! I should say it was ! Come on, Doll, 
let's make some lemonade. I'm choked with dust and 
with some old dry lingo that leaked out of my wise 
books. Come on, Dollums." 

" All right. Got any lemons ? " 

" Yep, brought some on purpose. Sugar too. 
And we can make it in that darling kitchenettio ! " 

Away the girls went, and concocted lemonade that 
tasted like fairy nectar. To squeeze lemons by 
means of their own glass squeezer, to get sugar out of 
their own sugar-box (after they had put it in), to 
draw water from their own flashing, shining, silver- 
plated faucets, this was joy indeed! 

" Seems to me I never tasted anything so good," 
said Dolly, gazing into her glass, as they sat at their 
golden dining-room table. 

" Nor I. But it makes me so fearfully hungry." 

" At one we must go home to lunch, I s'pose. 
Wish we could lunch here." 

" We will next Saturday, but of course, we've got 
to get a lot of things together to do that." 

" It's nearly one, now. We must finish up this 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

lemonade and scoot. Will you come back right after 
your lunch is over ? " 

" Yes, of course. Quick as I can hop here. But 
I'm so hungry I s'pect I'll eat a whole lot." 

" Me too." 



CHAPTER VI 

SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

THE lemonade finished, and the glasses washed and 
put away, the girls were about to start for home, 
when along came Trudy and Norah, the Fayres' cook, 
each with a tray covered with a big, white napkin. 

"Oh, goody, goody, GOODY!" shouted Dotty, 
catching sight of them first. " It's lunch to eat over 
here ! It is ! It is! " 

They flung open the front door and as they did so, 
there appeared from the house on the other side, 
Aunt Clara and Maria, the Roses' old coloured cook, 
one carrying a basket, and the other a strange-look- 
ing burden, muffled up in a piece of blanket. 

" Glory be ! but dis yer am hot ! " and Maria hur- 
ried in with the blanketed bundle, which proved to be 
a silver pot of cocoa, steaming and fragran 

Laughing with glee, the girls relieved the messen- 
gers of their loads and put them all on the dining- 
room table. The callers declined to stay, having a 
feeling that half the fun of Treasure House was 
in the Two D's having it to themselves. So away 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

they went, and with shrieks of delight, the donations 
were opened. 

" Did you ever see such a picture ! " cried Dolly, 
as she brought to view a small platter of cold tongue, 
garnished round with asparagus tips and tiny pickles. 

" And gaze on this to go with it I " Dotty said, 
flourishing a plate of sandwiches, delicate and dainty, 
and of several varieties. 

" Let's eat 'em now, while the cocoa's hot, and any- 
way, I can't wait." 

Dotty seated herself at the table, while Dolly, in 
her methodical way, went on with the preparations. 
" I'll put the dessert on this side table," she said. 
"Don't begin, Dot, till it's all ready. Will you 
look! Here's a Floating Island! Just enough for 
us two, in Trudy's best glass dish! And Maria's 
little raisin cakes ! Say, Dot, they telephoned or 
something and arranged this lunch between the two 
houses." 

" 'Course they (did. Do come on, Dolly. Don't 
stand admiring the things all day. Come on and 
eat." 

"All right, everything is all ready now, and we 
can eat in comfort. Here's a lovely basket of fruit, 
but we won't want that for lunch, let's keep it for this 
afternoon." 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

" Keep it for Christmas ! if you'll only come on ! 
Dolly Fayre, you are so slow, you do exasperate me 
somethin' awful ! " 

" Dotty Rose, you are so impatient, you drive me 
crazy ! " but Dolly came, smiling and tranquil, and 
took her seat at the table. 

" Isn't it great ! " she said, looking about at the 
pretty golden room, the tempting feast, daintily set 
forth, and at eager Dotty, her dark eyes sparkling, 
and her red lips pouting at Dolly's delay. 

" Simpully gorgeous ! " and Dotty's pout disap- 
peared as they began the first meal in Treasure 
House. " I say, Dollum, isn't it funny how we Roses 
came here and happened to live alongside of you 
Fayres, and you and I became such chums?" 

"Awful funny. And we're such good friends, 
even though we're so different in every way." 

" Not in every way, we like the same things often, 
but sometimes we're so very different, it makes us 
seem differenter than we really are." 

" Yes, I guess that's it, though I can't exactly fol- 
low your meaning. My, but these sandwiches are 
good! Let's have lunch here every Saturday, shall 
us? Of course, we'll fix the things ourselves. We 
couldn't expect Trudy and your Aunt Clara to do 
it, only this first time. But Norah and Maria will 



tWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

make things for us, and we can do a lot ourselves. I 
mean to_learn to cook, not so much cook on the 
stove, you know, as to make sandwiches and salads 
and desserts and deviled eggs and " 

" And cocoa and oh, Dollyrinda, some Saturday 
we'll ask somebody to lunch, and we'll make all the 
things ourselves ! " 

" And, oh, Dotsie, when the boys come home for 
Thanksgiving, maybe we won't have fun ! Brother 
Bert is crazy to see this house." 

" And Bob is, too. I expect those two brothers of 
ours will just take possession of it." 

" 'Deed they won't ! But of course they can come 
here all they want, and if they want to borrow it for 
a boy racket of their own, why of course we'll let 
'em." 

" Well, isn't that pretty much taking possession, 
I'd like to know ! Have some more cocoa ? " 

" You mustn't say, * Have some more ' anything. 
You ought to say, ' Have some cocoa ? ' : 

" But you've already had some ! " 

" I know it. But that's good manners. You must 
ignore the fact of my having had any." 

" Pooh ! Well, Miss Fayre, as you haven't had 
any cocoa, to my knowledge, mayn't I beg you to try 
it?'? 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

" Since you put it so politely, I don't care if I 
do take another cup or two. You see, / don't have 
to ignore it, I own right up." 

" You and your manners are too much for 
me! " 

" But, honestly, Dotty, it is right not to put in the 
' more.' And you mustn't do it." 

" All right, I won't. But it's simply impossible 
for me to ignore the dozens of sandwiches you've 
eaten. So I'll say, Have some cake? " 

" As the sandwiches are all gone, I believe I will 
begin on the cake. But, somehow, I don't feel as 
hungry as I did. Do you ? " 

" Nixy. Say, Doll, here's an idea ! S'pose we 
save these cakes, there's a lot of them, and that 
big basket of fruit till this afternoon and invite the 
two Rawlins girls over. How about it? " 

" All right, I'll go you. For, honest, I can't eat 
any of it now. But we'll eat up Trudy's Floating 
Island, she makes it lovely, and there isn't such a lot 
of that." 

" All right. If we're going to ask those girls, we 
must get a move on and do up these dishes. I hate 
to do dishes, don't you? " 

" Yes, at home. But it isn't so bad here. It's 
kind of fun 1 " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Not very much fun. But anyway, the dishes 
that belong over to our homes, we can pile in this 
basket, and Maria will come for them." 

" They've got to be washed first, though. It isn't 
nice to send them back unwashed." 

" Oh, what a prim old maid ! You ought to live 
alone with a cat and a poll parrot ! " 

" That isn't old-maidness, that's just plain, every- 
day tidiness. Now you get a dish towel, and I'll 
wash, and we'll have these things Dut to rights in a 

jiffy." 

The girls knew how, and they did their work well, 
but it did take some time, for such work cannot be 
done too swiftly. But on the whole, they enj oyed the 
task, and were gratified at the sight of the shining 
glass and china in their own glass-cupboard, and 
the neatly packed basket and tray full of dishes to 
be returned to their home pantries. 

Then they went and sat before their Study fire, to 
rest and talk. 

" Seems to me," said Dolly, " time does go awful 
fast. Here it's after three o'clock, and the after- 
noon is 'most gone." 

" And we must go home and dress," said Dotty, 
" if we're going to have Grace and Ethel. These 
ginghams won't do." 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

" No, not in our pretty new house ! Well, let's go 
home and dress, and then we can telephone them, 
from home. Shall I do it, or you ? " 

" Oh, I'll do it. You'll have all you can do to get 
dressed in time to get back here before dark. You're 
so everlasting slow." 

" Slow and sure, as the molasses said to the quick- 
silver. All right, you telephone the Rawlinses, and 
if they can't come, what then? Shall we ask any one 
else?" 

" Might ask Maisie May. But we don't want a 
lot. It'll seem too much like a party, and besides, 
there won't be enough cakes to go round." 

" All right. If the Rawlinses can't come you call 
up Maisie, and if she can't, we'll flock by ourselves. 
Maybe Mother'll want me to go out with her some- 
where, anyway. You never can tell." 

" Oh, don't do that 1 If you do, I'll get the girls 
to come just to see me. And it would be horrid not 
to be together this first day." 

" Well, I s'pect I can come back. Say, Dot, we 
ought to have a telephone connection here." 

" Wish we could, but, you know when we spoke of 
it, Dad said we couldn't have everything all at once. 
Let's strike for it for Christmas." 

" All right. But I s'pose we can just as well run 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

over home to telephone. Now, you take your folkses' 
basket and I'll take our trays. Got your key ? " 

"Yes. Have you? I'll lock the door. You go 
on. Good-bye." 

" Good-bye," and both girls ran away home. 

Mrs. Fayre had intended to have Dolly go on an 
errand with her, but, hearing of the projected plan, 
she let the child off. 

" Go over to Treasure House, dear, if you like," 
she said ; " but some days I must claim you as my 
own little girl. I don't want to lose you entirely." 

" No, Mumsie," said Dolly, her arms around her 
mother's neck, " but Saturdays, you know, can't I 
always have Saturdays for the House ? " 

" I shouldn't wonder. Now go and dress. And 
be home by dinner time, Trudy expects company." 

" Yes'm," and Dolly scampered away to dress. 
She heard the telephone and went to answer, think- 
ing it might be Dotty, And it was. 

" The Rawlins girls are coming," Dotty said, " and 
Maisie happened to be at their house so I had to ask 
her too. There'll be cakes enough if we go light our- 
selves." 

" All right. I'll be over pretty soon. Good-bye." 

Dolly made a leisurely toilette, as she always did. 
She rarely moved quickly, but on the other hand, she 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

was not often late. She put on a pretty little voile 
frock, of bluet blue, with white pipings. A big white 
ribbon bow tied her hair back, and then it fell in a 
long braid, with curly ends. She threw a big cloak 
round her, one of Trudy's discarded party-cloaks, 
and ran across to Treasure House. 

Of course, Dotty was already there. She had on a 
dress of bright Scotch plaid, which suited her type. 
Scarlet ribbons on her hair, and a necklace of bright 
red beads made her look quite festive. 

" What a jolly cloak ! Trude's? " 

" It was, but she gave it to me. Just the thing 
to wear to run over here. It's warm, but it's handy." 

" It's dandy, you mean. Wish I had one. I 
guess I can bamboozle Mother or Auntie into making 
me one. You look awfully nice this afternoon. 
Why didn't you wear your blue beads ? " 

" They don't quite match this frock. They're too 
greenishly blue. Why did you wear those red 
ones ? " 

" 'Cause they do match this dress." 

" No, they don't. They're crimson and the red in 
the plaid is scarlet." 

" Oh, what a fuss ! Well, then, I wore 'em 'cause 
they're pretty and becoming and I like 'em, so 
there now ! " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" All right, glad you do. Here come the girls." 

Further discussion of tints and shades was cut 
short by the entrance of Grace and Ethel Rawlins 
and Maisie May. 

" Well, if this isn't the greatest place ! I never 
heard of such a thing before. Where did you get the 
idea?" 

" Oh, it's just heavenly ! Such lovely furniture 
and things ! " 

" And there's another room ! Why, a dining- 
room ! I never did ! " 

Exclamations drowned each other. The visitors 
went in each of the three rooms and each called forth 
new praises. It was indeed a novelty, and appealed 
to the girls' hearts as a most desirable and cosy place 
to read or study. 

"But can you study here?" asked Maisie. "I 
should think you'd be all the time thinking what to do 
next to fix it up, and you couldn't put your mind on 
your lessons." 

" It may be that way," laughed Dolly. " We 
haven't really tried it yet. You see we only moved in 
this morning. Not everything is to rights yet. We 
don't mind you girls seeing it before it's all done, 
but I want it in apple-pie order before we have the 
Hallowe'en party." 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

" Come on," said Dotty, " let's gather round the 
Study fire, and talk over the party. Hallowe'en 
isn't so very far away." 

The girls drew up chairs for some and cushions 
from the window-seats for some, and grouped them- 
selves comfortably before the fire. Dolly put on a 
log from time to time, for she was one of those rare 
creatures who are born with a sense of fire-building, 
as others are born with a sense of colour or rhythm. 
She always knew just where to poke the dying logs, 
and where to lay the fresh ones. Dotty had prom- 
ised not to touch it, for she had a fatal propensity 
for putting the fire out, or at least causing it to die 
down. 

" Oh, it's ideal ! " exclaimed Grace ; " I do envy you 
girls this place. I wish we could have one, but 
Father wouldn't hear of it. He'd think it cost too 
much." 

" It didn't cost such an awful lot, my father says," 
said Dolly. " But, you know it isn't always cost 
that counts. Lots of things are unusual, and that 
makes people think they are impossible. Your 
father could afford one, Grace, if he wanted to. 
You see, it could be built much cheaper than this 
one. You needn't really have but one room and 
then my goodness ! What's that? " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASUEE HOUSE 

For a regular hullabaloo was heard outside. 
Knocking at the door, tapping at the windows, even 
pounding on the house itself! 

Dotty looked out. 

" It's the boys ! " she said, and her voice was as of 
one who announces a dire calamity. 

"Oh, fiddlesticks!" exclaimed Dolly. "What 
shall we do? I didn't want them this afternoon." 

" Tell 'em they can't come in,'* said Maisie. " It 
isn't fair." 

" Yes," agreed Grace. " Just open the door, and 
tell them they must wait till next week. I'll tell 
them, if you want me to. My brother Clayton is 
there, and I'll make him take the others away." 

" I'll go to the door," said Dotty. " I can make 
them go away. If Doll goes, she'll be so good- 
natured she'll let them in. And we haven't enough 
well, that is, we don't want them to-day." 

The noise continued, and the boys were now peep- 
ing in at the windows, and making signs of im- 
patience. 

Dotty and Grace opened the door, intending to 
persuade the would-be visitors to depart in peace, 
but the boys entered in a sort of flying wedge. It 
would have taken far more than two girls to keep 
them out. They were by no means rude or boister- 



SUCH A LUNCHEON! 

ous, but they were so determined to come in, that 
they just came. 

" Whew ! " shouted Lollie Henry, " if this isn't a 
peach of a place! How do do, Dolly and Dotty! 
I suppose you're hostesses. Yes, we will come in, 
thank you ! De-lighted." 

And all the' other boys, and there were half a 
dozen of them, joined the acclamation. ;^.i 

" Looky here at the dining-room ! Well, maybe 
we aren't swell! Wowly-wow-wow ! See the dinky 
little kitchen-place! What do you cook, girls? 
Oh, no, thank you, we can't stay to supper. Oh, no, 
we really can't. So sorry ! Still, of course, if you 
insist " 

The Two D's gave in. The boys were so honestly 
interested and admiring, and they wanted to see 
everything so much that the hostesses couldn't bear 
to turn them out, and indeed, they couldn't turn them 
out if they had tried. So they let them stay, un- 
grudgingly, and after viewing the whole domain, the 
entire company surrounded the Study fire once more. 
The boys mostly sat on the floor, but that made it all 
the merrier. 

" I'll tell you the honest truth," said Dolly, a little 
later. '* We've got enough cakes and fruit for one 
piece all round, if that will satisfy you, all right." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Ample ! " declared Tod Brown. " I never eat 
more than one piece of fruit. A small quarter of 
an apple, or a section of an orange is a great suf- 
ficiency for my delicate appetite." 

The others rejoined with similar nonsense, and the 
scant refreshments were brought out and divided 
fairly, amid much laughter, and generous attempts 
at self denial. 

And so the opening day at Treasure House passed 
off in great glee and merriment, and every guest was 
well pleased with the entertainment. 



CHAPTER VII 

FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

THROUGH the ensuing week the girls used Treasure 
House for study hours; and too, they finished up 
much in the way of furnishing. They were not both 
there every day, and sometimes neither was there, but 
the House was a great comfort, and soon they felt 
greatly at home in it. 

" It's getting fitted to us, like a shoe," declared 
Dotty after a few days. " At first, I didn't like the 
feel of this chair. Now, I love it." 

" Isn't it funny how you get used to things," said 
Dolly, musingly. " But you can't always. I'm try- 
ing to get used to Bernice Forbes, and yet somehow, 
I can't like her, and I don't know why." 

" Of course you can't, Dolly. She isn't our sort." 
And Dotty shook her head as if she had settled the 
question for all time. 

" Oh, pshaw ! Our sort ! What is our sort, I'd 
like to know. She's just as good as we are, just as 
rich, just as fashionable " 

" Oh, I don't mean those things. She's richer 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

than any of our set, and fashionabler, too. But that 
doesn't make her our sort." 

" Well, what does ? if you know so much." 

" She's too stuck-up, for one thing. But that isn't 
the main thing. She's a oh, I don't know how to 
express it. But she hasn't any gumption, or any, 
oh, any sense. But she thinks she has, and it's 
that that makes her so disagreeable." 

" I don't think you're altogether right, but I'm 
going to find out. I don't see why nobody likes her." 

" But you ought to see that if nobody does like 
her, it's because she isn't likable, for some reason or 
other." 

" I do see that, and I'm going to find out that some 
reason or other." 

" Pitch in, and find out, then. Good luck to you ! 
Oh, here comes Grace." 

" Thought I'd find you here," said Grace Rawlins, 
as Dotty opened the door to her. " Hello, Dolly, 
busy studying? " 

" Just about to begin to think about getting at 
it," returned Doll} r , laughing. " But it can wait ; sit 
down, Gracie." 

"Can't stay a minute. I just flew in to ask you 
two to go nutting to-morrow, up at Uncle Jim's 
woods." 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

" Gorgeous ! I'd love to go," cried Dotty and 
Dolly echoed, " So would I ! " 

" Well, it's just only us and Ethel and Maisie. I 
can't ask any more, 'cause Uncle is going to send for 
us in his car, and he'll send us home again. Won't 
it be fun?" 

" Fine ! I can do all my lessons to-night, can't 
you, Doll?" 

" I will, whether I can or not. What time do we 
start, Grace? " 

" One o'clock, sharp. Be ready, won't you ? 
And don't wear too good clothes, it's a real country 
place." 

" All right, we'll wear our oldest." 

Grace went away, declaring she wouldn't longer 
interfere with their study, and the Two D's set to 
work in earnest. 

" Then we can't have lunch over here to-morrow," 
Dotty said, a bit regretfully. 

" No matter, there are lots of other Saturdays. 
I'd rather go nutting while we can." 

" So would I. Now keep still, I've got to attack 
these Geometry problems." 

" Thank goodness, I've done mine. But History 
still stares me in the face." 

Silence settled down upon them, broken occasion- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

ally by a murmur of this sort : " Ptolemy I was 
followed by a series of monarchs by a series 
of monarchs what are you going to wear, Dot- 
sie?" 

" That old brown gingham the cube root of 

V-r % -" 

Dolly burst into laughter. " X square plus seven 
X plus fifty-three equals eleven thirds ! " she quoted. 

Dotty laughed back and quoted their favourite 
" Hunting of the Snark." 

" Taking three as the number to reason about 

A convenient number to state 
We add Seven and Ten and then multiply out 

By One Thousand diminished by Eight. 
The result we proceed to divide, as you see, 

By Nine Hundred and Ninety and Two: 
Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be " 

" Must be what, Dolly? " 

" Exactly and perfectly true," said Dolly, who 
was only half listening, but who knew her Lewis 
Carroll by heart. Her eyes were turned up to the 
ceiling and she was gabbling over and over " by 
a series of monarchs also called Ptolemies down to 
the time of Queen Cleopatra, the last of the line. By 
a series of Ptolemies a series of Ptolemies also 
called monarchs, h'm also called Cleopatra 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

no, also called also called oh, what were the old 
things called? " 

"You're nutty!" said Dotty. "No, my child, 
that isn't slang, I mean you're thinking of the nut- 
ting party and you can't get the series of mummies 
straight in your head." 

" They weren't mummies " 

" They were after they stopped being monarchs, 
weren't they ? All Egyptians were, I mean, all 
fashionable Egyptians. Do keep still, dear, sweet 
Dollyrinda, do keep still. The cube root of xy, 
Oh! I do abhor, detest, despise, abominate these 
cubed XY's!" 

But having thus exploded her wrath, Dotty set to 
work in earnest and finally conquered the refractory 
factors. 

" Done ! " she announced, at the end of a half hour 
of hard work. " I've cubed everything in sight, and 
some roots that were hidden deeply and darkly in the 
earth." 

" You ought to be a Cubist, that we read so much 
about in the papers." 

" No, thank you. I'll cube what I have to, but I'll 
never go out cubing, for pleasure. How are your 
Ptolemies ? " 

" Awfully mixed up. I'm going to let them sim- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

mer over night, and get up early and attack them 
with the dew on them. Perhaps I can lash 'em to the 
mast then." 

The next day turned out to be an ideal piece of 
weather. Clear, cold, the wind tossing white drifts 
of cloud about in the upper blue, and descending to 
whisk the nuts off the trees for those who desired 
them. The wind was aided and abetted by Uncle 
Jim's men, and when the crowd of girls arrived, there 
was a widespread area of nut-besprinkled ground 
awaiting them. 

" Well, this is some sort of a nutting party," said 
Dolly, as, each with a basket, they started to the 
fray. " All I've been on lately, meant hunting 
around half an hour for three small nuts, one 
wormy." 

" Oh, Dolly, what a sad experience," Grace re- 
turned. " I'm so glad I brought you up here to 
Brazil, where the nuts come from." 

" It's sure some little old Brazil, all right," agreed 
Dotty, and then they all stooped to their task. 

Baskets were quickly filled, and the girls sat down 
to rest under a tree. 

" This must be the old original spreading Chestnut 
Tree," said Maisie. " I always wondered if it did 
really spread such a lot. I see it does." 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

" Here comes the spread ! " said Grace, as a maid 
appeared bearing a tray filled with glasses and plates. 
The contents were sweet cider and ginger cakes, and 
to the hungry girls they looked very good indeed. 

" But we must be getting home," said Ethel. " I 
promised Mother we'd be back by five or six, at 
latest." 

" We can't go till Uncle Jim sends us," said Grace. 
" I told him we wanted to leave at four, but he only 
said * Oh, shucks ! ' " 

"Where is he?" asked Dolly. "And isn't there 
any Aunt Jim? " 

" No, he's a bachelor. Lives here alone, except for 
the servants. The truth is, he's a little shy before a 
lot of strange girls. Guess I'll go and hunt him 
up." 

She ran away to the house, and Ethel explained 
further : " You see, he's Mother's uncle. Quite an 
old man. And old-fashioned in his ways, except that 
he has a motor-car and a telephone. But personally, 
he's as backwoodsy as Methuselah; but a dear old 
thing, and awfully kind-hearted." 

Grace came back in triumph, leading Uncle Jim. 
Pushing and pulling him, rather, for the old man was 
clearly unwilling to come. 

" Now, now, Pussy, whatyer want to drag an old 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

man like me out here fur? These city young misses 
don't wanter see me ! " 

" Yes, we do, Uncle Jim," called out Ethel, and 
they all echoed, " Yes, we do, Uncle Jim ! " 

" Well, well, what a perty lot o' young misses. 
And have you all got all the nuts you want? " 

" Yes, indeedy ! " cried Dolly. " All we can carry, 
and more too. And we're ever and ever so much 
obliged." 

" Not at all, not at all ! Ye're welcome to all and 
more. It's a sight to see young things runnin' 
around the old place. Why don't ye bring 'em up 
oftener, Gracie 1 ? " 

" Only waiting for an invitation, sir," and Dotty's 
sparkling black eyes laughed into the old face. 

" Shucks, now ! Well, I hereby invite ye, one and 
all, to come up here jest whenever ye like, and raise 
hob." 

"Good!" cried Maisie. rt l just love to raise 
hob! Let's come next week, girls, when those other 
nuts are ripe." 

" Do, now jest do! " said the old man, delightedly. 
" This old place don't get sight of chick nor child 
very often. Must ye be goin' now? Well, mind 
now, ye're to come agin next week. Make a day of 
it, and bring more of yer young friends. I'll see to 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

it that Sary makes ye some good old-fashioned dough- 
nuts, and apple turnovers." 

" Look here, Uncle Jim, I've an idea," and Ethel 
ran to him and laid her hand impressively on his 
arm. 

" Fer the land's sake, Ethel, ye don't say so ! " 
and Uncle Jim shook with laughter at his own wit. 
" A little gell like you with an idea ! Sho, sho, now. 
Come, out with it ! It might fester ! " 

" Now don't you tease me. But it's just this. 
S'pose we come up here on Hallowe'en and have a 
witch party." 

" My patience ! what an idea for a little gell to 
have! Now, lemme see, lemme see." 

" No, that's too much trouble for you, Uncle Jim," 
said Grace. " You oughtn't to have proposed it, 
Ethel." 

" No, now, wait a minnit, Gracie. Don't you be 
too hasty. 'Tain't no trouble atall, I wasn't thinkin' 
of that. I was thinkin' if I could make things nice 
and perty fer you young misses. That's the trouble. 
I'm plain, you see, plain, and " 

" Now, that's just what we want, Uncle Jim, just 
the plain house, and orchard. We'll do all the fixing 
up, ourselves." 

" Now, now, wait a minnit, I tell you. Don't go 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

so everlastin' fast. I can't keep up with you. 
Here's the trick. You have your mother come up in 
the arternoon, and she can help me put things a leetle 
mite to rights. Then me and Sary and Etty can do 
the rest." 

" Oh, Mother'll be glad to come. How about it, 
girls?" 

" Why, we were going to have a Hallowe'en party, 
ourselves," said Dotty, smiling as she saw Dolly's 
look of consternation. 

"I know it; but don't you think this would be 
more fun, in the country, you know. Don't you, 
Dolly? We won't do it, if you say not," and Grace 
looked embarrassed, " but I thought your party was 
more like a house-warming for your new playhouse, 
and so " 

"All right, I say," and Dotty, turned to Dolly. 
" Whatcha think, Dollops ? Speak out in meetin' ! 
If you don't want to come up here, say so." 

" I do," said Dolly, her face clearing. She 
couldn't think as rapidly as Dotty, and it took her 
a minute or two to readjust her plans. " It will be 
heaps of fun. Are you sure you want us, Uncle 
Jim ? " The blue eyes looked up into his own, and 
Uncle Jim said heartily, " You bet I do ! Every one 
here, and a half a dozen more perty young misses, 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

and then boys enough to go round, can you get that 
many? " 

" Oh, yes, we'll ask all our crowd, and fill up \uth 
some of the others. What funl I'm sure Mother 
will be pleased, she loves to come up here." 

" All right, Gracie, girl, you talk it over with her, 
and I'll be down in a few days, and we'll see about 
it." 

" Can we go in the house, Uncle, and see how it is 
for a party ? " 

" Sure and sartain ! Go right along, the hull 
pack o' ye. Browse around, and see the hull shack, 
and by then, I'll be ready to send ye home. Go right 
in the kitchen door. Sary, she's the cook, '11 be glad 
to see you, and Etty, that's her darter, '11 show ye 
round." 

The girls went to the kitchen door, not quite so 
sure of Sary's warm welcome as their host was. But 
they found he was right. 

" Well, for the land's sake ! What a delegation ! 
Come in. Miss Grace and Miss Ethel, and bring 
your friends. Excuse my untidiness. I wasn't no- 
ways expecting company." 

The apology was wholly unnecessary, for every- 
thing in Sary's kitchen was spick and span and shin- 
ing. She was a buxom woman of middle age, and 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

had a broad, smiling face, overflowing with good 
nature. Her daughter, Etty, was the one who 
brought them their cakes and cider, and she was shy, 
but exceedingly curious to see the city ladies, as 
the girls seemed to her. 

She conducted them all over the fine old farmhouse, 
and listened in surprise as they exclaimed in wonder 
and delight over the big open fireplaces, and old 
mahogany furniture, that seemed to her the most un- 
interesting and commonplace affairs. 

" Perfectly gorgeous ! " cried Dotty. " Oh, Grace, 
I'd ever so much rather have the Hallowe'en party 
here. Wouldn't you, old Dollypops ? " 

"Yes, of course. And we can just as well have 
any other sort of a party at Treasure House." 

" Course we can. And we will. After this affair 
is over. I say, girls, let's have it a masquerade ! " 

" Oh, let's ! " said Maisie. " I've a dress all ready 
to wear. It's a witch dress, all " 

" I think we ought all to dress as witches," inter- 
rupted Grace. " Or spooks or hobgoblins or ' : 

" That's all right," put in Dotty, " but the boys 
won't do it. They hate dressing up." 

" Let 'em stay away, then." 

" No, a Hallowe'en party without boys is no fun. 
They make up the tricks and jokes, you know." 



FUNNY UNCLE JIM 

" That's so," said Dolly, " but if you tell the boys 
they can't come unless they wear spooky rigs, they'll 
do it fast enough. Why, a sheet and pillowcase 
ghost-rig is good enough, and that's no trouble at 
all ! Don't you know Dot, we wore them up at 
Crosstrees last summer, and the boys didn't mind a 
bit." 

" Yep, that's so. Oh, the boys will come. You 
couldn't keep them away. What a fireplace to roast 
chestnuts or pop corn ! " 

They were in the dining-room now, and its enor- 
mous stone fireplace was indeed ideal for a Hallowe'en 
frolic. And the kitchen, too, offered enchanting pos- 
sibilities. Then there was the orchard, if any one 
dared try fortunes beneath the stars. Altogether it 
was a splendid chance and the Two D's were glad to 
lay aside their own half formed plans for these. 

On the way home, they talked it over, and as they 
drew near the Roses' house the D's asked the other 
girls to come in and talk some more. 

" I can't," said Grace, " I promised Mother, Ethel 
and I would get home early. It's a little after five 
now." 

" Then you come in, Maisie," said Dolly. " We'll 
make fudge. You can stay till six, can't you ? " 

" Yes, indeed, and I'm simply starving for fudge." 



CHAPTER VIII 

A STEANGE INTRUDER 

" I do think this is the dearest place," said Maisie, 
as they went in the door of Treasure House. " I 
never heard of such a thing before. Whose plan was 
it?" 

" Our two fatherses, mostly," replied Dotty. 
" Wait a minute, girls, till I switch on the light." 

In a moment a small side light pierced the gloom, 
but before she could turn on the larger light, Dotty 
gave a scream. 

" Oh," she fairly shrieked, " what is that ? who is 
it?" 

" Who is what? " cried Dolly following her in, and 
Maisie came quickly after. 

Then they saw what she meant. Somebody or 
something lay on the floor. Something like a person, 
but still and unmoving. 

" It's a woman ! " screamed Dotty, as she peered 
down into a veiled white face. " Oh, who can it be ? 
How did she get here ? " 

Always excitable, Dotty was now fairly beside her- 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

self with fear and alarm, and not daring to touch the 
prostrate figure, she shuddered and fell back against 
the wall. 

"/ can't look! What is it?" and Dolly clapped 
her hands over her eyes, and refused to take them 
down. " See what it is, Maisie, won't you? " 

" No. I don't see why I I sh-should, when you 
and D-D-Dotty won't," and Maisie cowered in 
another corner. 

Dolly peeped out from between her fingers. Maisie 
had fallen in a heap on a window-seat, and was shak- 
ing with nervous fear. Dotty was staring at the 
woman on the floor, but was now showing more curi- 
osity than terror. Dolly glanced at the still form 
lying there. 

" Is she is she d-dead? " she faltered. 

" Ridiculous ! " cried Dotty, " of course not. She 
she just stepped in here, and and f- fainted ! " 

"Oh," and Dolly became hysterical. "That's 
like a f-funny story Father tells, ab-bout the man 
who called at a house and said, ' P-please let me have 
a f-f-fit in your hall ' ! " 

" If he stuttered as much as you do, I guess he had 
a chill instead of a fit," giggled Dotty, and then 
Maisie roused herself. 

" Let's lift her up," she said ; " I'm. not afraid. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Come and help me." She took a few steps nearer the 
woman, and then catching another look at the face 
she cried, " Oh, I can't ! She looks so queer ! " 

" Queer, how ? " and Dotty's ever-ready curiosity 
overcame her repugnance, and she drew near to look 
in the half-hidden face. " If I dared lift her veil " 
she bent over, and drew back instantly. " Oh, girls, 
her face is cold, stone cold ! " 

" Then she's dead ! " wailed Dotty. " I told you 
so ! Dead in our pretty house ! " 

" Well, if the poor lady is dead, she can't harm us. 
Let's lift her up," and Maisie, with returning cour- 
age, put her hand under the mop of grey hair, which 
was partly hidden beneath a dark felt hat. But 
again, the strange, eerie sensation of touching an 
inert form overcame her and pulling her hand away, 
she ran back to the window-seat. " I can't ! I 
thought I could, but I can't. Oh, what shall we 
do?" 

" I s'pose we'll have to go and get somebody," said 
Dolly dolefully. " Shall I go, and you two stay here, 
or who " 

" Don't you go and leave me here alone with 
Maisie ! " screamed Dotty. " I won't let you, Dolly. 
Maisie, you go and get somebody, and Dolly and I will 
stay here." 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

Maisie started, but on opening the door, and peer- 
ing out, she flew back, slamming the door hard. 

" What is it? " cried both girls. " What did you 
see?" 

" Oh, oh ! " and Maisie shivered and shook. 

" Tell us, what's out there ? What did you see 
out there? " 

" Oh, n-n-othing. But it's so dark ! I'm afraid 
to go out. There may be more of them " 

" More people wanting to have a fit in our hall ? " 
said Dotty, who never could fail to see the ridicu- 
lous side of anything. 

" Don't, Dot," implored Dolly. " Don't talk like 
that ! Maybe she is d-dead, you know." 

" Maybe ? Why, of course she is ! She doesn't 
breathe or move at all. Of course she's dead, Dolly. 
We've got to go and get somebody. Suppose we all 
go. It's awful to leave her here alone, but what can 
we do?" 

" Oh, we oughtn't all to leave her. Maybe she'll 
come to." 

" She can't if she's dead, can she ? " 

" Well, wait a minute. You always fly off so quick, 
Dotty. Let me think. Let's all sit down here and 
think a minute." 

Dolly pulled the two girls down beside her on a 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

window-seat. They looked at the silent, motionless 
form. The woman lay on her side, her hands under 
her. Her feet in old buttoned shoes stuck out be- 
neath a shabby skirt of dark cloth, frayed at the 
edges. She wore a big, dark coat of rough cloth. 
Her hat was held on by a thick veil through which 
they could quite plainly see her face. She had a very 
white complexion, but very red cheeks, and staring 
wide-open blue eyes. 

Her grey hair was frowsy and half tumbling down, 
and round her neck was an old black feather boa. 
Altogether she looked poorly dressed but her face 
gave promise of being pretty. 

" I've got to see her better," declared Dotty, as 
Dolly's cogitation had promised no suggestions. 
" I've just simply got to ! Maisie, will you help lift 
her head, if I'll help?" 

" Yes, I will," said Maisie, decidedly ; " I won't 
flinch this time." 

Dotty went over and knelt at the woman's side. 
Maisie knelt at her head. " Now," said Dotty, " I'll 
put my hands under her shoulders and you put yours 
beneath her head, and we'll sit her up. Maybe 
well, maybe she isn't you know." 

Gently Dotty put her hand under the old cloth 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

coat, carefully Maisie passed her hand again under 
the grey hair. 

" Now ! " said Dotty, and as they lifted, the grey 
hair came off in Maisie's hand, and the head of 
the woman rolled away from the body ! All three 
girls shrieked, and then Dotty began to scream with 
laughter. 

" Oh ! " she cried. " Oh, that naughty little thing ! 
Oh, how could she ! Girls, girls, it isn't a woman, it's 
a dummy thing that horrid little Genie fixed up to 
tease us ! She ought to be punished for this ! But 
we were well taken in ! " 

The other two began to realise at last what Dotty 
meant. Sure enough, the grey hair was a wig, or 
rather, what is known as a " Transformation." The 
head was a plaster cast, nearly life size, and the body 
of the supposed woman was a small bolster dressed 
in old clothes. The shoes were merely tucked under 
the edge of the skirt. 

Dotty lifted up the head and pulled off the veil. 
" It's my old cast of the head of the Milo Venus," 
she said. " See, that little scamp has painted the 
cheeks and lips red, and the eyes blue, and left the 
rest white. No wonder she looked pale ! " 

" And with that veil on, it sure did look like a per- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

son," said Maisie. " Well she had the joke on us, all 
right ! I was scared out of my wits ! " 

" So was I," whispered Dolly, who was still 
shaking ; " and I can't get over it. It was aw- 
ful!" 

" Oh, pooh ! " said Dotty, " I was scared too. But 
I fully expect to get over it 1 I think we all will ! 
Don't worry, Doll, a pan of fudge will calm your 
nerves." 

" Oh, it's too late to make fudge. I want to go 
home." 

" Stay right where you are, sister. A few more 
bright lights, and a fudge-fest will make a new Dolly 
of you." 

As she talked, Dotty was switching on lights all 
over the house, getting out chocolate and the chafing- 
dish, and, making signs to Maisie to perk up and be 

gay- 

Maisie took the hint, and in a short time, there was 
excellent fudge ready for three merrily laughing 
girls. 

Dotty felt the responsibility of the thing, for it 
was her sister who was the culprit. She recognised 
the cast and also the clothing and the wig, and she 
knew it could have been no one else but the mis- 
chievous Genie. So she did all she could to remove 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

the shadow of unpleasantness that hung round the 
performance, and she succeeded admirably. 

Naturally, the talk turned to the Hallowe'en 
party. 

" I suppose Grace and Ethel will make out the list 
of invitations," said Dotty. 

" It won't take much making out," was Maisie's 
idea. " They'll just ask our crowd and that will be 
about enough. Us five who were there to-day, and 
Celia, and six boys, will be twelve. That's plenty." 

" I wish she'd ask Bernice Forbes," said Dolly, 
doubtfully, " but I s'pose she won't." 

" I s'pose she won't, too," said Dot. " Pooh, who 
wants Bernice Forbes ? " 

" I don't, for one," asserted Maisie. " I can't 
bear the girl." 

" I don't see why," argued Dolly. " She would be 
all right if people would be nice to her." 

"All right? She can't be all right," and Dotty 
shook her head. (< She don't know how to be all 
right." 

" That's so," and Maisie laughed. *' Well, I must 
go home, girls. I've had a lovely fudge party, and 
I think Genie's joke was a great success. Tell her 
so, for me, Dotty." 

" All right, I will," and with laughing good-byes, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Maisie went home and the Two D's stayed to put 
things straight. It was their rule never to leave 
Treasure House untidy over night. Dotty whistled 
and Dolly sang, as they flew around and soon had 
things ship-shape. 

" Now, Dot," said Dolly, as they poked out the 
dying embers of the fire, " I want to tell you some- 
thing. I'm going to ask Grace to ask Bernice to that 
party." 

" No, you're not, Dollyrinda. You think so now, 
but you go home and think it over, and you'll see that 
you'll spoil the whole party if you do." 

" You mean spoil it for you! It won't for any- 
body else. Not everybody is as mean as you are to 
that girl ! " 

" Nobody likes her, you've often said so yourself." 

" All the more reason, then, to have her there and 
let them learn to like her." 

" Oh, good gracious ! you make me tired ! Why 
are you so everlastingly gone on her? Just because 
she's rich ? " 

" Dotty Rose, you take that back ! That's a mean 
thing to say, and you know it isn't true. Don't 
you? " 

" Well, I never knew you to care for anybody for 
that reason before ; but I can't think of any other." 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

" Well, that isn't the reason, and you know it 
perfectly well. Now, I'll tell you what the reason 
is, if you can understand it, and I don't know as you 
can. It's because I'm sorry for her. Everybody 
snubs her, and she'd just love to be liked and sought 
after." 

" Oh, she would, would she? Then why doesn't 
she make herself liked and sought after? " 

" How can she, if we don't give her a chance ? " 

" Let her make her own chance." 

" But, she can't, Dotty. If no one invites her 
anywhere, how can she make herself agreeable and 
pleasant to them? " 

" Let her give a party herself, and invite us." 

" I've no doubt she'd be glad to, if she thought we'd 
go to it. But if we snub her right and left, she 
won't dare ask us." 

" Well, let her be more pleasant at school, then. 
She's stuck-up and proudy, and she thinks she's the 
whole world. Oh, let up, Dolly ! what do you want 
to bother with her for? There are enough in our 
crowd already. And we just plain don't want her." 

" Dot, you're horrid. Can't you feel sorry for 
her? Put yourself in her place. How would you 
feel if everybody turned the cold shoulder to you ? " 

" I'd be so gay and merry they'd have to like me." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Oh, that's all very well, because everybody does 
like you. But if they snubbed you, what then ? " 

" Why, Dollops, if I deserved it, I'd have to grin 
and bear it, I s'pect. But facts is facts. You can't 
^nake Bernie Forbes over, and unless you can, you 
can't make people like her, and that's all there is 
about it. And another thing, Doll. I know and 
you know your high and noble aim in this matter, 
but the others don't, and wouldn't believe it if they 
did. You go on like this, and people will soon be 
saying that you're toadying to Bernice Forbes just 
because she's the richest girl in town. And you'll see 
what they'll think of that! " 

" Pooh, I don't care if they do. Bernice hasn't 
any mother, and her father is a stern, grumpy old 
thing, and I am sorry for her, and I am going to do 
anything I can to help her have a good time, and I 
am going to coax Grace Rawlins to ask her to the 
Hallowe'en party! So there, now, Miss Dorothy 
Rose, you can put that in your pipe and smoke it ! " 
When Dolly was in earnest, she was very much so, 
and Dotty well knew there was no use combating her 
in this mood. So she changed her tactics, and said, 
laughingly, " Well, don't let us quarrel about it any- 
way. And it's time to go home now. Come on, 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

" No, I won't come on, till you say you'll help me 
in my plan. If you and I both ask Grace to ask 
Bernie, she'll do it. But if I ask her, and then you 
go to her, and ask her not to, she won't do it. And 
I know that's just what you'll do ! " 

As a matter of fact, that was exactly what Dotty 
had intended to do. In fact, she had already 
planned in her quick-working mind, to telephone the 
moment she got home, to Grace, and ask her not to 
consent to Dolly's request. It wasn't that Dotty 
had such rooted objections to Bernice, but she was 
unattractive and stiff, and, moreover, exceedingly 
critical. And too, Dotty didn't care so especially 
about the party, but she didn't want Bernice included 
in the six girls who made up " their crowd," and if 
Dolly took her up so desperately, first thing they 
knew, she would be in the " crowd " and she would be 
all the time coming to Treasure House, and here 
was the rub, Dotty feared, way down deep in her 
inmost heart, that Bernice might cut her out with 
Dolly, and that would be the crowning tragedy ! It 
was scarcely possible, of course, but Dolly took 
strange notions sometimes, and Dotty was taking no 
chances on such a catastrophe. 

" All right, I'll promise not to say anything to 
Grace at all, about it. But I won't promise to coax 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

her to ask Bernice, for I don't want her to. Aw, 
Dollyrinda, let up on that crazy scheme. It's only 
a whim. And don't you see, if you get her asked 
there, and she doesn't have a good time, she'll wish 
she hadn't come after all. And so you'll be giving 
her a disappointment instead of a pleasure." 

" But she would have a good time. I'd see that 
she did." 

" Yes, you would ! And how ?. Why, you'd ask 
the boys to be nice to her, and dance with her and 
everything. And would they do it ? They would 
not! Did they do it, when you asked them at the 
High School Dance? They did not! " 

" How do you know ? " 

f( Lollie told me. He said it was ducky of you to 
try to be so nice to her, but it wouldn't go down. 
The boys just simply plain won't, and you know 
it." 

" Isn't it mean of them, Dot? Don't you think it 
is?" 

" Oh, I don't know. I keep telling you, Dolly, if 
Bernice was nice to people, you wouldn't have to try 
to boost her. And if she isn't, boosting won't do any 
good. There's the whole thing in a nutshell. Now 
we must go home, or they'll be sending over after us." 



A STRANGE INTRUDER 

" Yes, I s'pose we must. Well, Dot, I'll see about 
this thing. I've got to think it over." 

" All right, old slowpoke thinker ! And say, Doll- 
ops, you aren't mad at what Genie did, are you? " 

" Oh, goodness no. You know I don't like prac- 
tical jokes much; you know how I hated that one 
they played on Miss Partland, but I'm not mad at 
Genie, of course not." 

" Good for you. But I'll see that she isn't allowed 
to do such a thing again." 



CHAPTER IX 

FAIRIES AND SUCH 

DOLLY did think over the question of Bernice Forbes 
and the party. And the result of her cogitation led 
her straight to Grace's house. 

" I've come," she said, " to ask a favour, Grace. I 
want to know if you won't ask Bernice Forbes to your 
Hallowe'en party." 

" Why, Dolly, I would, only, well, you see the 
number is all made up." 

"What number?" 

" The number I planned to invite. Twelve, it 
is." 

" But couldn't you add two more ? Bernice, and 
another boy to make it even ? " 

" I suppose I could, but, you know, Dolly, no- 
body likes Bernice. She's " 

" Oh, don't tell me what she is ! I know it ! But, 
Grace, I think it's mean, the way we girls treat her. 
Now, never mind what she is, won't you ask her, just 
for my sake? " 

Dolly's smile was very winning and her blue eyes 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

very pleading and Grace was about to consent, when 
Ethel came in. They told her the subject under dis- 
cussion. 

"Not much!" declared Ethel. "If that thing 
goes, I don't ! " 

" All right," Dolly blazed back, " if she doesn't go, 
7 don't!" 

Probably neither girl meant what she said, but 
having said it, they both stuck to it. So spirited the 
argument became, that Mrs. Rawlins overheard the 
angry voices and came into the room. 

" What is the matter, girlies ? Why, Dolly 
Fayre, what are you crying about? " 

" I'm not crying, Mrs. Rawlins," and Dolly 
brushed a tear or two off her cheeks, " b-but I'm 
afraid, maybe I m-might. I guess I'll go home 
now." 

" Not till you tell me the trouble, dear," and Mrs. 
Rawlins sat down beside the disturbed guest. " What 
is it, Grace ? " 

" It's my fault, Mrs. Rawlins," Dolly spoke up. 
" I was trying to make the girls do something they 
don't want to. And I had no business to do it." 
Dolly was always just, even against herself. 

" But what is it? Tell me, Ethel." 

" Why, Mother, Dolly wants to ask Bernice Forbes 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

to our party, and we don't want to, 'cause she'd 
spoil the whole thing." 

"Why?" and Mrs. Rawlins smiled. "Is Ber- 
nice such a spoilsport as all that ? " 

" Yes, she is." 

" Do you think so, Dolly? " 

" Well, you see, Mrs. Rawlins, she isn't awfully 
nice, but I'm sorry for her ; and I thought if we in- 
vited her to things, and made her like us, she'd be 
nicer, and we'd like her." 

" Is this the only reason, Dolly ? " and Mrs. Raw- 
lins looked quizzically at her. 

Immediately it came into Dolly's mind how Dotty 
had said everybody would attribute Dolly's interest 
in Bernice to the fact that she was the daughter of 
the richest man in town, and really an heiress in 
her own right. Dolly blushed uncomfortably, but 
she looked straight at her questioner, and replied, 
" Yes, Mrs. Rawlins, it's only because I'm sorry for 
Bernice, and," she hesitated, and then added, hon- 
estly, " and a little, because everybody is so down 
on her, and I don't think it's fair ! " 

" I don't either ! " declared the lady, heartily ; 
"you're just right, Dolly. And Bernice shall be 
invited." 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

" But Ethel says she won't go, then," began 
Grace, as Ethel herself spoke up, " Oh, of course I 
will, if mother says we must ask Bernice. I don't 
care such a terrible lot, anyway, and I'm sorry I 
was snappy to you, Dolly." 

" I'm sorry I was snappy, too," and Dolly's pretty 
face showed real contrition. " Are you sure you 
won't mind too much, girls ? " 

" Of course they won't," Mrs. Rawlins answered 
for them. She was a pretty, smiling little lady, and 
as a rule everybody who was with her liked to do 
as she said. " Now that is settled, Bernice shall be 
asked. Mustn't we then ask one more boy ? " 

" Yes, Mother, and let's ask Clayton to get some 
one. He knows a lot of boys, and he'll know just 
which one to ask." 

" Good idea, Gracie. Is your dress ready, Dolly? 
What are you going to wear ? " 

" Oh, I can't tell you that before the girls ! You 
know it's a masquerade." 

" Oh, yes, so it is. Well, set your mind at rest, 
dear. I'll ask Bernice myself, and I'll tell her about 
the masquerade. Don't let any one know she's com- 
ing, and then they'll never suspect who she is, until 
you take off your masks." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Oh, what a lovely idea, Mrs. Rawlins," and 
Dolly's eyes shone with pleasure. " Don't tell, will 
you, girls ? " 

" No," said Grace, " but everybody will know, 
when they see seven girls, who the other is." 

" They won't know for sure, and anyway, the boys 
won't know. You needn't even tell Clayton." 

So the matter was settled, and Dolly went off home 
happy at having gained her point. 

At last the night of the party arrived. The girls 
had planned not to let each other know what they 
would wear, and see if they could guess identities. 
Dolly and Dotty had no idea of each other's cos- 
tume, and even Grace and Ethel Rawlins were in 
equal ignorance of theirs. 

The girls were to meet at the Rawlins house and 
the boys at the Browns' and go out to Uncle Jim's 
separately, in motor cars provided by the several 
families. 

Mrs. Rawlins would act as hostess, and Mr. Raw- 
lins was a general manager, who seemed to look after 
everything at once. 

At the hour of meeting, Dolly found herself to be 
the first one to arrive. She had come from home 
by a roundabout way, and her father, who accom- 
panied her to the corner, stepped aside and let her 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

go up the steps alone, so that no one might suspect 
it was she. Dolly was attired as a Ghost. Her dress 
was lovely, being made of many layers of white tarla- 
tan, one over the other, with long angel sleeves, and 
fluttering draperies, that wafted about as she walked. 

A scarf of the same material enveloped her head 
and neck, and trailed its long ends behind her. She 
wore white silk gloves, but her hands were hidden 
in the swirl of the misty material. She was a verita- 
ble ghost, and deep in the shadows of her swathing 
headgear, her face was concealed by a little white 
satin mask. Of course her hair was completely hid- 
den, and she moved with slow, sinuous movements, 
waving her draped arms in true spectre fashion. 

" Come in, Ghost," said Mrs. Rawlins, as Dolly 
stepped into the reception room. " Well, you are 
a spirit, indeed! I never saw a real live ghost be- 
fore!" 

Dolly swept long, ghostly curtseys, but said no 
word. 

Grace Rawlins came next. She had gone out and 
around several blocks so that she might enter her 
own house as a visitor. Grace was a Fairy. Her 
dress was full and frilly, of pale pink crepe paper, 
and she had pink and gilt wings, and a long 
wand. Her hair, which might have been recog- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

nisable, was hidden in a dainty pink silk cap, with 
a long gilt feather, and a full ruche of frilled paper 
hid her neck and chin. A pink mask covered her 
face, and she wore long pink silk gloves. 

Dolly stared Hard at her, but could not be sure 
who it was. She thought the Fairy looked a little 
like Maisie May, but never suspected Grace. 

Maisie came next, though nobody knew it. She 
was a Brownie. She had borrowed a suit from a 
cousin out of town. The costume had been made for 
a city party and was an exact Brownie rig. Of 
course it completely disguised Maisie, and the goggle- 
eyed mask was weird and quite appropriate to the 
occasion. 

Then Bernice came. She represented an Elf. 
Her costume was made entirely of overlapping green 
leaves, and a head-dress of the same. Green stock- 
ings and slippers, green gloves and a green mask 
made her entirely unrecognisable. Dolly thought it 
was Dotty, as the two were much the same height. 
Bernice moved about shyly, and sank into the first 
chair she came to, and then Dolly felt sure it was 
Dotty, trying to disguise her own brisk manner. 

When Dotty did come, Dolly had no idea who it 
was. Her costume was that of a witch. Long red 
cloak and high peaked cap, from which hung strag- 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

gling grey locks. A fed and black gown, red stock- 
ings and black slippers, and a mask like that of a 
little old lady with a hooked nose and apple-cheeks. 
She carried a broom, gilded and tied with red rib- 
bons. It was a most picturesque garb, and Dolly 
decided it must be Bernice. 

But no one spoke to another. Occasionally one 
would nod knowingly, as if to say she recognised 
some one, or point a finger at her. But the other al- 
ways shook her head vigorously, as if the guess were 
wrong. 

It was imperative that each should represent some 
idea connected with the occasion, so Celia Ferris 
came as Autumn. She wore yellow and brown with 
touches of red, and she carried a basket of fruit. 
Her head-dress was made of Autumn leaves, and she 
wore long necklaces of cranberries strung on a 
thread. 

Last to arrive was Ethel Rawlins. She had de- 
layed late, thinking that then no one would suspect 
her identity. 

She was The Nut Brown Maid. All her robe'was 
of brown, and it had fringes of nuts at the ends of 
bits of ribbon. Her head-dress was trimmed with 
chestnut burs, and she had necklace and armlets of 
strung nuts. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Now the girls were all present, and though they 
guessed, none knew positively who any other was. 
Those who knew Bernice's invitation had not told, 
and those who did not know it, wondered greatly 
who the seventh girl could be, though some surmised 
correctly. 

Mrs. Rawlins laughingly collected her weird-look- 
ing charges and packed them into two big motor 
cars, and they set off for Uncle Jim's, for, at his 
request, all the girls called him by that familiar title, 
and as the cars were swift ones, the party soon 
reached the country house. 

Not a word was spoken on the way, for the girls 
found they were well disguised, and they determined 
to keep up the mystery. But there was much gig- 
gling and many expressive exclamations in deep gut- 
tural tones. 

Reaching their destination, a wonderful scene 
awaited them. Uncle Jim had begged Mrs. Raw- 
lins to do anything she could to make the house 
attractive and appropriate for the occasion. So, 
with the help of the willing servants, she had trans- 
formed the great hall and the big, old parlour into 
a veritable Hallowe'en Revel. Branches of bright 
Autumn leaves decked the walls. Red and yellow 
cheesecloth made gay draperies, and streamers of red 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

and yellow crepe paper fluttered here and there. 
Hollowed-out pumpkins held masses of little late 
chrysanthemums, and sheaves of grain stood in cor- 
ners. 

There were jack-o'-lanterns, too, made of yellow 
or of green pumpkins, and also of crook-neck 
squashes, whose candles within lit up their strange 
grotesque faces. 

The boys had already arrived, and round the room 
stood seven silent figures. They were dressed as 
Robin Hood, Peter Pan, or merely as spooks and 
goblins. Apparently the boys had been quite will- 
ing to " dress up," and their costumes were as pic- 
turesque as the girls'. 

Uncle Jim greeted the incoming crowd. 

" Wai, wal, what a visitation ! My, but ye're a 
lot of perty spooks ! Look at this white ghost now ! " 
as Dolly swept him a long, low bow. "Ain't she 
the beauty ? I ain't afeard of ghostes like that, now, 
you bet I ain't! And see the Fairy! My stars! 
Ye're all so fine, I dunno which way to look first ! " 

Then the boys advanced and greeted the girls with 
bows, peering closely for some identifying sign, and 
getting laughed at for their pains. 

" Now, here's yer welcome," said Uncle Jim. 
" This is a writ welcome, fer the reason that I ain't 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

much on expressin' my thoughts. But I'm right 
down glad to see ye all ! " 

Then each received a pretty printed card, decor- 
ated with designs of black cats and owls and witches 
on broomsticks. It read: 

Spooks and Spirits we invite 

To our party Witches' night. 

And the black cat yowls, 

And howls and growls ! 

And the gray owl hoots, 

And To-whits, To-whoots ! 
And the moon is yellow and big and round 
As the pumpkins lying on the ground. 
So join our ranks, and come along 
To Uncle Jim's where the witches throng! 

This was read with nods of delight and the cards 
laid away to take home as souvenirs. 

Robin Hood stood near Dolly as she finished read- 
ing hers, and he politely offered her a pencil to write 
her name on it for safe-keeping. Then he eagerly 
leaned over to see what name she wrote. 

" O-o-o-o-h ! " groaned Dolly in sepulchral tones, 
and then she wrote Ghost on her card. But she 
printed it in straggling letters, for she was too canny 
to show her own penmanship. 

Many were the traps laid to learn who was who, 
but the secrets were, for the most part, well kept. 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

Lollie Henry was discovered by his familiar laugh 
and his inability to suppress it. 

Maisie May was known, when a lock of her auburn 
hair escaped from the queer Brownie head-covering. 
Then, of course, these two being known, they tried 
to make the others speak. 

" Tell me who you are," Lollie wheedled of the 
Elf, Bernice. The only answer was a vigorous shake 
of the green-leaved head. 

" Ah, you needn't tell, I know ! " he exclaimed 
triumphantly. " You're Dotty Rose ! I know by 
the toss of your head. Aren't you, now? " 

The Elf nodded Yes with such insistence, that 
Lollie felt sure his guess was wrong. 

Dotty as a witch, was in her element. She darted 
about, tweaking people's ears, or tapping their arms 
with her broomstick. She had a funny little cack- 
ling laugh, that was so unlike her own voice, it was not 
recognised, though Dolly soon suspected her. 

She hovered about Uncle Jim, teasing him until 
the old man shook with laughter. " My ! what a 
witch it is ! " he exclaimed. " Right from old Salem 
Town, I'll be bound!" 

They played all the regulation Hallowe'en games. 
" Thread the Needle," " Blow the Candle," and all 
the well-known ones. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Then Mrs. Rawlins brought in a plate, which she 
set on the table. " This," said she, " is a test to see 
who of you will be married this year. Now, who will 
try first? " 

The girls hung back, and the boys urged them for- 
ward. At last, the Fairy flitted up to make the first 
test. 

On the plate was a mound of flour, tightly pressed 
into shape. Mrs. Rawlins explained the test. 
" You see," she said, " the rule is, to fill a bowl with 
flour, and drop a ring into it. Then press the flour 
down so tightly, that it will keep its shape when 
turned out on a plate. Each of you must cut out a 
slice, and any one who finds the ring will be married 
this year." 

" Sure ? " asked Lollie Henry, laughing. 

" Yes, sure," asserted Mrs. Rawlins, gravely. 
" Come, Fairy, after I read the charm, cut your 
slice. Cut it like a pie, and wherever you choose." 

Then Mrs. Rawlins read the charm: 

"Little ring within the flour, 
Waiting for this witching hour, 
Tell me where it is you hide 
On this side or on this side. 
Now, with care the knife I bring 
Do I get you, Little ring? 
Now I cut! Just at this spot! 
Do I get you, Ring or not?" 



FAIRIES AND SUCH 

The Fairy cut the slice, and all crowded round to 
learn the result. 

" You do not! " exclaimed Lollie, as there was no 
ring seen in the Fairy's slice. 

One after another, they each cut a slice, and even 
to the very last one, no one secured the ring. 

" Not strange," said Mrs. Rawlins, calmly, as she 
took away the plate, " there wasn't any ring in it ! 
Of course none of you children will be married this 
year or for many years yet." 

Then a great laugh went up at the way they had 
been hoaxed, and Lollie said, comically, " Just my 
luck ! I thought I might get a rich wife, who would 
promise to wait for me till I'm of age ! " 



CHAPTER X 

FORTUNES FOB, ALL 

IT would seem that it would be easy to discover who 
the spooks were, but the secrets were well kept. And 
though several suspected that Bernice Forbes was 
present, not one connected her with the green-robed 
Elf. And somehow, the Elf was exceedingly popu- 
lar. She had merry little ways, and was among the 
foremost ones in any game or trick. She was often 
chosen as a partner in the Hallowe'en jokes, and 
when at last it was supper time, when they would 
all unmask, the Elf was watched with as much if not 
more interest than the others. The boys chose part- 
ners for the march out to the dining-room. 

" I'll take you," said Lollie Henry, linking his 
arm in that of the Elf. " I think you're Dot Rose, 
and yet, I think that red witch is Dotty, too. But 
I mostly think you are, so come along." 

The Elf shook her head, hard. 

" Does that mean you won't go with me? " 

Another negative shake. 

" Oh, it means you're not Dotty Rose." 



FORTUNES FOR ALL 

An affirmative nod to this. 

" Well, all right, I'll soon find out who you are. 
May I, fair Elf, escort you to the Spook Feast? " 

Lollie bowed low, and then Bernice accepted his 
escort and they joined the line of march. 

Dolly was with Reggie Stuart, though neither of 
them knew it, and Dotty was with Tod Brown, in 
equally blissful ignorance. 

They marched to the dining-room, and there 
awaited them a true Hallowe'en table. Decked with 
yellow paper and red ribbons, loaded with dainties of 
all sorts, and crowded with little gnomes, witches, 
black cats, owls and goblins for souvenirs, it was a 
welcome sight. 

They all took their seats, and at a given signal 
were bidden to remove their masks. 

Mr. Rawlins gave the signal. 

" Ready, everybody," he said. " When I count 
three, off with your face coverings. You've been 
hidden long enough, and I for one will be glad to 
see your happy smiles. . One, two, three ! " 

And, already loosened, off came every mask, and 
the flushed, smiling faces looked eagerly at each 
other. 

Dolly was stunned when her eyes lighted on Ber- 
nice, for she had concluded the Elf was really 



Dotty, and she thought the red witch was Grace. 

But more surprised even than- Dolly was Lollie 
Henry. He caught sight of Bernice's smiling face, 
and he fairly jumped, as he involuntarily exclaimed, 
" By Gum ! " Then suddenly his good manners 
came to his rescue, and though disappointed in his 
partner, he managed to look pleasant, and went on. 
" This is an unexpected pleasure ! I didn't know 
you were to be here." 

" And you wish I wasn't ! " Bernice flashed back, 
for she didn't misunderstand him. 

" Not a bit of it ! Haven't I been chasing the 
Elf around all the evening? " 

" Because you didn't know it was me." Bernice's 
voice quivered a little. She had been so happy when 
people were nice to her, and now she caught sight 
of many surprised and not altogether pleased glances 
thrown her way. 

" But I didn't know anybody, except red-headed 
Maisie, when one of her rosy locks came out of her 
Brownie cap. So how could you expect I'd know 
you?" 

" I didn't expect it, and I'm glad you didn't know 
me, 'cause then you could be nice to me." 

" I can be a whole lot nicer now that I do know 
you, just you wait and see ! " 



FORTUNES FOR ALL 

This speech, and the pleasant smile that accom- 
panied it, were greatly to Lollie's credit, for he didn't 
like Bernice, but having " got into it," as he expressed 
it to himself, he was bound to put it through, as he 
further informed himself, " with a hurrah ! " 

And so, Lollie laughed and chatted with Bernice 
as well as with the others near him, and the Elf felt 
a little better. 

But others were not so kind-hearted as Lollie, and, 
too, they hadn't his responsibility as a supper part- 
ner. So, on the whole, few spoke to Bernice, while 
all laughed and joked with the others. 

Dotty was not sitting near Dolly, but once, when 
she caught her eye she frowned a little. However, 
in the gay chatter that was general, no one had much 
chance to think of personal matters. 

Uncle Jim, himself, sat at the head of the table, 
and Mr. and Mrs. Rawlins at the other end of the 
wide board. 

" This is downright fine ! " Uncle Jim said. I'd 
like to have a party like this about once or twice a 
week. I declare I would ! " 

" You'd get tired of us, sir," suggested Tod 
Brown. " We're not always on such good behav- 
iour." 

" Ain't, hey ? Well, I calk'late you're always 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

perty good. Good enough, anyway. Don't want 
childrun too good." 

" Small danger of that, Uncle Jim," cried Dolly, 
laughing. " We're none of us sprouting wings yet ! " 

" Except Gracie, there ! " and Uncle Jim laughed 
at his Fairy niece. 

" Sure enough, I forgot Grace's wings. But she'll 
moult 'em off to-morrow, and be no more angelic than 
the rest of us." 

" You're all good enough for me. I think you're 
as fine a lot of little misses and masters as ever 
I see. I'd like a picture of ye." 

" And you're going to have one, Uncle," said Mr. 
Rawlins, rising from the table. 

Soon, with the help of Uncle Jim's man he had 
put in position a camera, and bidding them pose, 
he took two or three flash-light pictures, which caused 
great exclamations and startled shrieks. 

" Those things scare me to death, don't they 
you ? " said Bernice to Reggie Stuart, who sat at 
her other side. 

" No," he returned, rather uninterestedly. " I'm 
sort of used to 'em. I've been taken a lot of times 
that way." 

" Have you ? " said Bernice. " How exciting ! 
Where? " 



FORTUNES FOR ALL 

Now as a matter of fact, Reggie's experiences 
were not so numerous as he implied, and most of 
the times he had been " taken " were failures. So, 
he only shrugged his shoulders and said, " Oh, I can't 
remember. It made so little impression on me." 

Bernice felt snubbed, and showed it by looking 
cross. Reggie saw this, and saying to himself, " old 
sourface ! " he turned back to Dolly, who sat on his 
other side. 

" Good for you, Reg," she said in a low tone. 

"What for?" 

" For being nice to Bernie Forbes. I saw you 
talking to her. She isn't so bad, now, is she? " 

" Dolly, she's the limit ! and if you say B. F. to 
me again to-night I'll I'll " 

"You'll what?" and Dolly laughed at the irate 
youth. 

" I'll take you out to Berwick Lake and drown 
you all up ! " 

" Goodness sake ! How ferocious ! Well, be sure 
to ask her for a couple of dances." Roguish Dolly 
knew Reg wouldn't do this, but it did no harm, she 
thought, to suggest it. 

Supper over, they returned to the big hall, and 
sat around the roaring log fire, while the next en- 
tertainment took place. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Lollie escorted Bernice dutifully to a chair, and 
then, feeling his duty done, he left her, and went 
over to speak to Dotty. 

" You wished that on me," he said, accusingly. 
*' I thought she was you ! " 

** Why, Lollie Henry ! I refuse to be mistaken 
for Bernice Forbes ! How dare you ? " Dotty 's 
dark eyes flashed and she looked a pretty picture in 
her mock rage. 

" Needn't get huffy," returned Lollie, serenely. 
" B. F. is some looker, all right. To-night, any- 
way." 

Bernice was a pretty girl, and her green costume 
was exceedingly becoming, but the last few minutes 
had not been pleasant ones, for since Lollie's defec- 
tion, no one had spoken to her, and she looked re- 
sentful. 

" Oh, I don't know," Dotty returned. " She might 
be pretty if she didn't look cross enough to bite a 
nail in two." 

" Guess she's made that way, and can't help it," 
said Lollie, and then they were called to attention. 

It was to be Fortune Telling, Mr. Rawlins informed 
them. 

" And," he said, " if you will all seat yourselves 
round the fire, I will tell each and every one of you 



FORTUNE'S FOR ALL 

just what will happen in the years to come. Aren't 
you anxious to know ? " 

" Indeed we are ! " cried several, as they took their 
places. 

Mr. Rawlins sat down at a table where were a 
great many papers. 

" These are Fortunes," he said, indicating some 
neatly folded sheets. " But it would never do to 
give them out hit or miss. We must see to it that 
they get where they belong. And this is the only 
way it can be done. We will invoke the assistance 
of the Fire Spirit. You know, Hallowe'en is the 
birthday of the Fire Spirit or Sun Spirit, or some 
such thing. My Mythology is a little rusty, but you 
can ask your teachers in school to-morrow. How- 
ever, I've invoked for your aid to-night the Fire 
Spirit, and he will help us get the Fortunes right. 
Now, will some kind gentleman volunteer to help the 
Fire Spirit help me ? " 

Nobody offered, as the boys felt a little shy about 
it, so Mr. Rawlins called on his son, Clayton. 

" You'll do, Son," he said. " You're not as hand- 
some as some of those other chaps, and not as wise as 
some, but on the whole you're a good sort, so come 
on, and help your old dad." 

Clayton went up and stood by his father's side. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Now, you see," went on Mr. Rawlins, " all these 
are Fortunes, and all these are small slips of blank 
paper. I take a Fortune in my hand. I ask of thee, 
O Fire Spirit, to tell me for whom it is meant ! 
Clayton, please hold a slip of blank paper to the 
blazing fire. The Fire Spirit will write upon it." 

Clayton picked up the top slip from the pile, and 
did as he was told. As he held it, writing began to 
appear. 

" Ah," said Mr. Rawlins, as everybody watched a 
name being written on the paper, by no means that 
they could see. " Has the Fire Spirit written, 
Son?" 

"Y-Yes, sir," stammered Clayton, a little fright- 
ened at what he saw. 

"Can you read it?" 

" Yes, sir ; it says Dotty Rose." 

" Ah, this fortune is for Dotty, is it ? I will read 
it: 

"You'll have a career 
More brilliant each year; 
But you'll climb a steep hill 
Ere you get what you will. 

Take it, Dotty, and keep it always. It may serve 
as a guidance to your feet in future years ! " 



FORTUNES FOR ALL 

Dotty came and took the paper, a little bewildered. 
" May I have the name the Spirit wrote ? " she asked. 

"Yes, oh, yes, indeed. Treasure it carefully. 
The Fire Spirit does not always respond to mortal's 
requests." 

Dotty returned to her seat, and with the rest sat 
breathlessly watching while Mr. Rawlins took up 
another fortune paper, and motioned for Clayton to 
hold out another blank paper for the Fire Spirit to 
write on. " You're sure it's blank, are you, Clay ? " 

" Yes, Father," and the boy looked carefully on 
both sides. It was pure white. He held it out to the 
fire and soon it was written on, in a clear bold hand, 
just like Dotty's. 

" It says Grac Rawlins, Father." 

" Ah, my Gracie's fortune. I hope it will prove a 
good one." Mr. Rawlins then unfolded and read the 
fortune he was holding. 

" As you pass through future years 
Here are smiles and there are tears. 
But the passing days will show 
Far more happiness than woe. 

Good for you, Grace, that's a nice fortune." 

Grace stepped up and took her fortune and her 
name paper, and then the next one was tried. This 



time the Fire Spirit wrote Lorillard Henry, and the 
verse ran: 

For a few years, my boy, you may want for the pelf, 
But later in life you will earn it yourself. 
And as the years fly, you'll get richer and richer, 
For you're destined to be a professional pitcher. 

They all laughed at this, for Lollie's love of base- 
ball was well known. 

" Another blank, Clayton, and hold it closer to the 
Fire Spirit. He is old and he can't see very well." 

" But I don't want to burn my fingers, Dad." 

" True that would be a pity. And you're already 
red-faced from the blaze. Well, try the tongs. It 
may be more comfortable." 

So Clayton took a slip of blank paper, and fas- 
tened it securely in the tongs' grip and held it out 
to the Fire Spirit in the flames. He began to write 
at once, and in a moment the name Bernice Forbes 
stood out clearly. 

Mr. Rawlins read the paper he was holding: 

" Fate holds joy in store for you, 
Loving friendships warm and true. 
As through life your way you wend, 
Happiness will crown the end. 

A very pretty fortune, Bernice, dear, may it come 
true." Mr. Rawlins spoke so kindly, that Bernice's 



FORTUNES FOR ALL 

pale face glowed with pleasure as she took her two 
papers. 

" Let me hold my name, mayn't I ? " asked Maisie 
May. 

" I don't know when your name will come," re- 
turned Mr. Rawlins. "It's as the Fire Spirit de- 
crees." 

" Well, let me hold the next name, anyway. I 
want to see how that Spirit holds his pen ! " 

" Surely," said Mr. Rawlins. " Always glad to 
oblige. Let her take your place, Son." 

Clayton gave the tongs to Maisie. With careful 
scrutiny, she looked over the blank bit of paper be- 
fore she clutched it tightly in the tongs. 

" Don't let it drop into the fire," cautioned Mr. 
Rawlins, " or somebody will be without a fortune." 

" No, sir," said Maisie, watching the paper care- 
fully. And sure enough, as she held it, the name 
was slowly written thereon. 

" It's Todhunter Brown," she announced. 

" All right," said Mr. Rawlins, " here goes : 

"You will fly 

Fine and high, 

In an airship through the sky ! 
Looking down 
With a frown 
On your friends in Berwick Town." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

"Hullo, Tod," said Lollie, "so you'll get your 
airship, then! Won't that be fine! Give me a 
ride?" 

" Yes, indeedy. I'm glad old Fire Spirit knows 
how much I want an airship, and maybe he'll give me 
one." 

" Well, fortune will, and it's all the same." 

" Let me hold a paper once," asked Dolly. " I 
want to see how it is done, really." 

" Now, Dolly Fayre, don't you seem to doubt the 
Fire Spirit, or he may run away home and not tell 
any more fortunes." 

"Oh, I won't hurt him. I just want to try it 
once. Come on, Dot, let's try it together." 

" No, I don't want to," and as Dolly looked at her 
in surprise, she added, " the fire burns my face so." 

" Pooh, never knew you to be afraid of your com- 
plexion before." 

"Well, I don't want to, anyhow. Let Bernice 
help you, if you need help." 

Oho, so that was it! Dolly thought to herself. 
Dotty was mad at Bernice's presence at the party, 
and took this means of showing it ! 



CHAPTER XI 

THE FIRE SPIRIT 

DOLLY glanced round to see if any one else had 
noticed Dolly's speech. Apparently, no one had. 

So, deeming it best to ignore it, Dolly said, " Come 
on, Bernice," and laughingly drew the half-unwilling 
Elf along with her. 

" Here you are ! " said Mr. Rawlins, gaily. " One 
nice clean blank paper for each of you. Who'll go 
first? You, Dolly?" 

" No ; Bernice, you try it." 

So taking the paper carefully in the tongs, Ber- 
nice held it to the blaze of the logs. 

" Spirit of the Fire," said Mr. Rawlins, in a 
dramatic voice, " tell us, pray, whose is this Fortune 
I have here, folded in my hand." 

And then appeared on the paper, the name of 
Maisie May. 

" Ah, our Maisie," and Mr. Rawlins read : 

" Ere you are so very old, 
You will marry wealth untold. 
Now your Knight is far away, 
But he'll come to you some day. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Congratulations, Maisie, dear. May you be very 
happy, in your future life, rolling in gold and living 
in palaces." 

" I can't feel positively sure it will come true," 
laughed Maisie; " is it guaranteed? " 

" Wait till * Some day ' and see," returned Mr. 
Rawlins. "Now, Dolly." 

Dolly was most anxious to know how the writing 
appeared on the papers. She didn't for a moment 
believe in the Fire Spirit, but she was curious to know 
the trick, She scrutinised her paper, but saw only 
blank whiteness. Then she carefully put it in the 
tongs, and held it to the fire. Sure enough, there 
came the writing at once, and it said, Clayton Raw- 
lins. 

" This is interesting," exclaimed Clayton's father. 
" I'm glad to know the future of my children. Lis- 
ten, Clay: 

" In years to come, in some far distant land, 
You'll run a fine and prosperous peanut stand! 

Well, my boy, as you are assured of earning an 
honest living, I've no fault to find, have you? " 
" No," returned Clayton ; " I love peanuts ! " 
Dolly gave it up. She couldn't see how the trick 
was accomplished. Mr. Rawlins let her try again, 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

and this time she read the name of Dolly Fayre, her- 
self. 

" Read me my fortune," she cried. " What is my 
fate?" 

"You will visit distant scenes, 
You will meet with Kings and Queens. 
But the one who'll be your mate 
Lives already in this State." 

Mr. Rawlins handed her the fortune paper, say- 
ing, " You are to be envied indeed ! Meeting with 
royalty 1 Oh, my ! " 

" Oh, my ! I should say so ! Well, I'll like it all 
right. I love adventure, and this sounds fine. Only 
I wish I knew when the king and queen visits would 
begin." 

" That's the worst of fortunes," observed Mrs. 
Rawlins ; ** they leave so much to the imagination." 

Then others wanted to try holding the papers. 
But none could guess how a blank paper could be 
written on by the fire, whether a spirit did it or not. 

" Great, isn't it? " cried Tad Brown, as he 
watched the writing appear. " Joe Collins ! Hullo, 
Joe, what you s'pose your fortune will be? Some- 
thing desperate, '11 bet. Joe's a terror, you know ! " 

" We'll see ; " and Mr. Rawlins read : 

"Your wit is keen, your humour fine, 
To you they'll prove a real gold mine ! 



For you will move from Berwick Town, 
And be a famous Circus Clown ! 



Good, Joe! I'd go to the circus twice a day to see 
you perform." 

" I can do it ! " and Joe capered around with the 
antjcs of a clown. " Here you are, ladies and gentle- 
men ! The funniest living clown in captivity ! Come 
one, come all! Pink lemonade free. Get your pea- 
nuts from Old Clay Rawlins ! Hip ! Hip ! Hooray ! " 

When Joe stopped prancing about and the others 
stopped laughing at him, Mr. Rawlins read next 
" Tadema Brown." 

" Hardly know myself by my Sunday name," and 
Tad listened for his fate. 

"You care but naught for this world's goods, 
You love the fields and flowers and woods; 
To you the note of singing birds 
Is sweeter far than human words." 

" Well, that's true, anyway," said Tad, heartily. 
He was a born naturalist, and often spent his Sat- 
urdays wandering alone through the woods and fields, 
looking for new wild flowers or birds' eggs to add to 
his collections. 

" Poky old fortune, I call it," declared Dotty. 
"Whose is next?" 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

"Ethel's!" said her father. "Well, my child, 
here you are: 

" You shall travel many a land 
Seeing wonders great and grand. 
But for home your heart will yearn, 
Back to Berwick you'll return!" 

" Indeed I will," said Ethel ; " I'm the homesickest 
thing ever, if I'm away from mother." 

" Ned Hillman," announced Dolly, who was hold- 
ing the tongs again. " Read it, Mr. Rawlins." 

"Your Fate has not tarried, 

Your Future is bright; 
And you will be married 
Two years from to-night ! 

Well, well, Ned, so your bachelor days are num- 
bered. Make the most of your freedom before you 
settle down to housekeeping." 

" All right, Mr. Rawlins," said Ned. " But I'll 
have to hustle to get a house to keep, in two years ! 
Couldn't old Fire Spirit give me a little more time ? " 

" He might extend it, in case of good behaviour. 
What, Celia Ferris is next ? Here you are, Celia : 

"Though you are a pretty creature, 
You are doomed to be a Teacher, 
For a year or two. And then, 
You will wed the best of men. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

H'm, seems to me Ned and Celia will step off at about 
the same time ! " 

This caused great hilarity, for Ned's admiration 
for the pretty Celia was not altogether a secret. 
Celia blushed, but did not look at all offended. 

" Huh ! " said Joe Collins, " no fun teasing those 
two ! They like it ! " 

" I don't! " cried Celia, blushing, and then they all 
laughed harder. 

" And beside," went on Joe, " it said Celia would 
wed the best of men. Now, though we all love our 
Neddie, we can't pedestal him as the best of men, 
can we? Or, can we? " 

" We can ! we can ! " they all shouted in rollicking 
chorus. 

" And now for the last fortune ; may it prove the 
best," said Mr. Rawlins, holding up the last paper. 

" Must be mine," said Reggie Stuart. " I haven't 
had any yet." 

It was his, and it said : 

You never will have wealth, 
You'll keep no powdered flunkey ; 

But you'll travel, for your health, 
With a hand-organ and monkey ! 

" Fine ! " and Reggie laughed with the rest of 
them. " I'm awfully fond of music, and I couldn't 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

have chosen a better fortune myself. Think of wan- 
dering about in the Spring " 

" With a monkey on a string ! " chimed in Joe. 

" Flowers a-bloom and birds a-wing," from Tad. 

" Catching coin like anything ! " wound up Reggie. 
" Oh, it's a great life ! I always envied the hand- 
organ man." 

The fortunes over, Dolly begged Mr. Rawlins to 
tell how the Fire Spirit was induced to write on the 
blank papers. 

" I have a contract with the Spirit," he declared, 
" and if I order him, he will write for me. No one 
else can command him." 

" Oh, now, I dunno 'bout that," drawled Uncle Jim, 
who had been an eager-eyed spectator of the fortune 
telling, though he had sfcid little. " S'pose, now, 
Dolly, you hold up this here piece of blank paper an' 
see if the Sperrit won't write on it." 

Dolly took the sheet of paper offered her, and put 
it in the tongs. Slowly some writing appeared. It 
said : " Mr. Rawlins is fooling you. Make him tell, 
(signed, The Fire Spirit.)" 

" I thought so," cried Dolly, and going to him, she 
said, coaxingly : " Now, Mr. Rawlins, you must tell 
us. The Fire Spirit commands you." 

" Then I shall have to, pf course," and Mr. Raw- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

lins laughed good-naturedly. " Well, since you will 
have the veil torn from the mystery, I'll own up. 
The way to produce that writing is simply to write 
it on the papers beforehand, with milk " 

"With milk!" 

" Yes, use a small paint brush dipped in milk. 
Write your message, let it dry, and then when it is 
held to the fire the heat turns the milk brown and the 
writing appears. But, when I let Uncle Jim into 
my secret, I didn't know he would turn it against 
myself." 

" You would have told us, anyway," and Dolly 
nodded her head at him. " But it's a good trick. 
Does it always work ? " 

" Yes, if you do it properly. It's well to go over 
the milk letters a second time, while they are wet 
enough to see. Then the heat scorches them better. 
Also, have a care not to let the papers be handled or 
blurred before using." 

" Thank you, that's a fine thing to know," and 
Dolly tucked it away in her noddle for future use. 
She already saw herself mystifying Bert and Bob 
when they came home. 

" Great, isn't it, Dot? " she cried, her first thought, 
as always, to share every idea with Dotty. 

But again, Dotty gave her the cold shoulder. She 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

heard, but, pretending not to, she turned to Celia and 
chattered quickly. 

Dolly gave her a hurt look, and then, as Dotty 
glanced at her without a responding smile, Dolly 
went deliberately across the room to where Bernice 
stood, alone and neglected. 

Dolly was in defiant mood. She was full of wrath 
at Dotty's attitude, and she was angry, too, at the 
boys, because they would not be nice to Bernice. 

" Hello, Bernie," she said. " How'd you like your 
fortune? " 

" I don't like anything," returned Bernice, her eyes 
stormy with discontent. " I want to go home." 

" We're all going," said Dolly, " after one dance. 
Uncle Jim wants to see us do a Virginia Reel, and 
Mrs. Rawlins is going to play for us. Come on." 

" Nobody will ask me to dance. I want to go 
home." 

Just then, Tad came up to Dolly and asked her to 
dance with him. 

" Not unless you find a partner for Bernice," said 
Dolly. She spoke in a low tone, and they turned 
away, so Bernice did not hear. But she imagined 
what they were saying, and it did not tend to make 
her happier. 

"Can't do it," said Tad, positively. "Nobody 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

will dance with that lemon ! Why, look at her, Doll ! 
She's a human thunder-cloud. Who'd dance with 
that?" 

" Then I'll dance with her, myself. I'd rather do 
that, than have her left out." 

" Oh, fiddlesticks ! Leave her alone, and let's get 
our places. You can't scare me, saying you'll dance 
with her! No, sir, not little Dolly Fayre. She's 
going to trip it with yours truly, and that's all there 
is about that ! " 

Then Dolly had an inspiration. " Wait a 
minute," she said to Tad, and she ran over to where 
Uncle Jim was smiling at his guests. 

"Aren't you going to dance, Uncle Jim?" she 
said. 

" Well, now, I hadn't thought on 't. But it's right 
down nice of you to ask me. I'd like to, by gum, 
I'd like to! But which of all these perty young 
misses would dance with me ? I ask you that ? " 

" Why, any of them would be proud to dance with 
the host. I would myself, only I'm engaged for it. 
But how do you like the Elf? " 

" That perty one in green ? I'd like her mighty 
well, if she'd honor me." 

" Let's go and ask her," and Dolly led the old man 
across to Bernice. " Say, Bernie, you're the belle of 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

the ball ! Uncle Jim wants you to dance the Reel with 
him." 

" That I do, if you would give me the honor," and 
Uncle Jim made an old-fashioned bow, of deference 
and respect. He had the grace of an old-time beau, 
and it appealed to Bernice's pride to be chosen by the 
host of the evening. 

" Thank you," she said, a little shyly, and took 
the arm of the old man, as they found places in the 
line. 

Dolly was beaming at her success. " It's all right, 
no thanks to you," she said to Tad, as she returned to 
him. 

" You're a hummer, Dolly, and no mistake ! 
That was a first-rate scheme. You couldn't have 
made any of the boys take her." 

" I know it," and Dolly sighed. Then she changed 
the subject, for she had no wish to discuss Bernice 
further just then. 

As it turned out, Uncle Jim was a fine dancer, and 
he cut pigeon wings and made old-fashioned bows, 
with his hand on his heart. Bernice, also a good 
dancer, entered into the spirit of the quaint dance, 
and they were by far the most effective couple on the 
floor. 

As a grand finale, Uncle Jim balanced up and 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

down the line with Bernice in gay whirls, and then 
fairly swung her off her feet, in a wild pirouette. 

" Good ! " cried Mr. Rawlins, clapping his hands. 
" Didn't know you were such a gay young buck, 
Uncle Jim! You'll have to come to dancing class 
and teach the youngsters the real thing ! " 

Flushed and smiling, Bernice said good-night to 
her host and partner, and ran away to the cloak- 
room. 

" You were splendid, Bernie," said Dolly, as she 
put on her wrap. " Wasn't she, Dot? " 

" Yes," said Dotty, coldly. " But I don't care for 
such boisterous dancing myself." 

" Oh, you don't ! " said Dolly, mad clear through. 
" Well, keep your preferences and opinions to your- 
self ! " She turned her back on Dotty, and adjusted 
her scarf before the mirror. Her pink cheeks were 
scarlet, and her blue eyes flashed with indignation. 
It was the injustice of Dotty 's attitude that hurt her. 
She had only tried to give Bernice a good time, and 
she couldn't see why that should make Dot so horribly 
snippy. 

Then she heard exclamations and shouts out in the 
hall, and hurried out to see what it meant. 

At first she thought the house was on fire. A red 
glow showed through the windows and from the open 



THE FIRE SPIRIT 

door. Then she discovered that it was a glow of red 
fire in honour of the occasion. Uncle Jim had ar- 
ranged it to give them a gay and pleasant send-off. 
There were fires burning in all directions, and the 
effect was a general red glow as bright as day. 

" How beautiful ! " cried everybody, for the scene 
was like fairyland. And then they all thanked Uncle 
Jim over and over for the party, and for his kindness 
and thoughtfulness, and the motors came, and the 
young people were packed in and sent rolling home- 
ward. 

Dolly was a little silent, for she was deeply hurt 
at Dotty's manner, and had to think things over be- 
fore she decided what to do about it all. 

Dotty, on the other hand, was unusually gay. She 
proposed singing songs, and herself started the tunes. 
She laughed and chattered with everybody else, but 
said no word to Dolly. 

When they reached their respective homes, the 
girls went into their houses without a parting word 
of good-night to each other. 



CHAPTER XII 

MAD AND MEASLES 

THE next day was Saturday, and the Two D's had 
planned to spend the morning at Treasure House, 
studying first, and afterward arranging for a 
luncheon they were going to have there the next Sat- 
urday. 

They intended to ask four girls and have a lovely 
party, but now the very thought of it brought the 
tears to Dolly's eyes. She was in her room, wonder- 
ing whether to go over to Treasure House or to wait 
for some word from Dotty. They had never had a 
real quarrel before and Dolly didn't know quite how 
to manage it. So she watched from her window to 
see if Dot would go over. And Dotty did. Soon 
Dolly saw her walking along the path, her head up, 
singing a little song, and then she unlocked the door 
of Treasure House and went in. 

So Dolly followed, and went in to find that Dotty 
had started a good fire, and was sitting at her desk, 
studying. 

Dolly looked at Dotty and Dotty looked at Dolly, 
but neither spoke. Dolly thought Dotty looked spite- 



MAD AND MEASLES 

ful and Dotty thought Dolly looked stubborn. And 
they both did look so, and they felt so. 

Dolly threw off her coat, laid another log on the 
blazing fire, and sat down at her desk to study. 

Silence reigned and reigned with such absolute 
monarchy that each girl felt as if she should scream. 
Perhaps you know the tension of such a situation. 
Both sat still, until arms and legs felt rigid, faces 
were strained, and hearts beat as if they would burst. 
Yet, neither felt she could speak. That would be a 
humiliating admission of being in the wrong, which 
neither was willing to make. 

Turned slightly away from each other, they were 
not mutually visible, yet each felt that the other 
knew every move she made. 

Dolly was almost ready to cry, her neck felt so stiff 
and her arm so cramped. She moved a trifle, and 
the sensation was as if she had made a disturbance in 
church. She at once became motionless again, her 
burning face showing her embarrassed self-conscious- 
ness. 

Dotty of sterner stuff sat stiffly still, now and 
then turning a page of her book with utmost de- 
liberation. Then her foot went to sleep, and she 
wanted to get up and dance on it. Of course, there 
was no reason why she shouldn't dance on it to her 



heart's content, but if you are acquainted with the 
peculiar etiquette of " getting mad," you know she 
would have endured torture before she would have 
done anything that could have been construed as 
sociable. 

So the two silly things sat there, each trying to 
study, pretending to study, and really wondering 
what the other was thinking. 

At last the burned out fire required mending. 
With a furtive glance at Dotty, Dolly got up, saun- 
tered to the wood-box, selected a log with care, and 
laid it carefully on the embers of the expiring ones 
glowing among the ashes. 

'Dotty jumped up, glad of a chance to step on her 
sleeping foot, and seizing the poker, jammed Dolly's 
log into place so fiercely that it fell down between the 
andirons. 

" I'll 'tend to the fire," said Dolly, coldly, for a 
speech of this sort was entirely permissible. 

" You think you know all about fire-making, don't 
you? Well, that big log will never burn without a 
stick of kindling-wood." 

" It would, if you'd let it alone. You always poke 
a fire till you put it out ! " 

" I don't either ! I had the fire all right, till you 
came over and bothered with it." 



MAD AND MEASLES 

" Well, then, fix it yourself, smartj, if you know 
so much ! " 

Dolly flounced back to her chair and sat down. 
Usually gentle, and even-tempered, when Dolly did 
get stirred up, she was so miserable, all through, that 
she couldn't control herself. And now, she knew that 
if she staid there with Dotty, in those strained rela- 
tions, she would very shortly burst into uncontrolla- 
ble tears. 

Dotty slammed another log on top of the first one, 
took the hearth brush and flirted the ashes about a 
little, took the tongs, and fussed about with those, 
and then, adjusting the fender with meticulous care, 
went back to her seat, and again silence took up its 
sceptre. 

The very light-ticking clock could be plainly heard, 
indeed it sounded as loud as the click of a type- 
writer in the gloomy atmosphere. The girls turned 
farther away from each other until they were fairly 
back to back. 

Dolly was all the time growing more and more in- 
clined to tears ; not tears of sorrow, so much as of 
indignation, of weariness and of general nerve strain. 

Dotty, tearless, with no inclination to cry, became 
more and more ruffled with anger at Dolly, and a 
vague half-recognised jealousy of Bernice; as well 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

as a sort of remorse at her own unkindness to her 
chum. 

But what could be done ? Girls who are " mad at " 
each other can not violate the age-old canons of not 
speaking, and to speak first was the deepest humilia- 
tion. 

So the two little ninnies sat there. Dott3 r 's feet 
went to sleep, one after the other. Dolly's arms 
stiffened and relaxed in turn. The minutes dragged 
by like hours. Lessons were not learned, for how 
can one put one's mind on the Ptolemies or their suc- 
cessors, when one is mad at one's friend? 

At last, somehow, the motionless hour-hand of the 
hammering clock managed to worm its way to twelve, 
a permissible, if not usual, hour to go home. 

Simultaneously, and with the same air of preoc- 
cupied intentness, both girls put away books and 
papers, and pulled on her coat sleeves. 

Dolly dawdled over her desk a moment, hoping 
Dotty would speak. Dotty looked at the back of 
Dolly's head, decided it still looked stubborn, and 
turned away. 

Together, yet miles apart, they went out of the 

door. Dotty locked it with her key, she was always 

the quicker one at that, and then, with an assumed 

lightness of step, the two silly young things ran 

C15O 



MAD AND MEASLES 

across their respective lawns and into their respective 
homes. 

Merry and bright they were at their respective 
luncheon tables, for the unwritten law required that 
their parents must not know of the tragedy that had 
befallen. 

So, when Mrs. Fayre informed Dolly that her com- 
pany was desired for a ride that afternoon, the con- 
sent was prompt and willing. And when Mrs. Rose 
asked Dotty to stay with Genie while she went out 
on some errands, there was no objection raised. 

But there were two sore and sorry hearts in the 
neighbouring houses, and two brains pondered over 
the question of what was best to do. 

Dolly was unwilling to give up her pet plan of help- 
ing Bernice. She couldn't explain entirely to her 
own satisfaction, just why she was so interested in 
this project, but she knew she had no unworthy 
motive. It was not, of that she was sure, be- 
cause Bernie was rich and lived in the grandest house 
in Berwick. It was not because she wanted her for 
her own particular friend. But it seemed too bad 
that a nice girl like that should be out of everything 
for lack of a guiding hand. And, it must be 
admitted, Dolly liked to play the part of guiding 
hand. 



Dotty, for her part, was mad because Dolly had 
gone off and asked the girls to invite Bernice to their 
party, after she had practically agreed not to. 
This was Dolly's sole argument. The fact of her 
own jealousy of Dolly's interest in Bernice she ig- 
nored, for the present, at least. 

So the two foolish ones spent much of the golden 
Autumn afternoon ruffling the feathers of their souls, 
and persistently keeping them ruffled. 

That evening, as the Fayres sat at dinner, the tele- 
phone rang, and Mrs. Fayre was asked for. 

After a time she returned to the table. 

" Here's a state of things," she said, smiling, yet 
looking serious too. " It was Mrs. Rose telephon- 
ing. Genie has the measles, or rather, they think 
she has, and so Mrs. Rose asks if we'll let Dotty come 
here to stay till they're over." 

" Well, well," said Mr. Fayre, " that's too bad for 
poor little Genie. But I rather think I can guess 
the names of Two D's who won't be sorry about 
the projected visit. Eh, Dollykins? " 

Dolly was stricken dumb. Dotty coming for a 
week, maybe more, how long did measles last, any- 
way? Was it a month? Could they go without 
speaking all that time? 



MAD AND MEASLES 

" How how long will she be here, Mother ? " at 
last a small, scared voice said. 

" A couple of weeks, I daresay. Why, aren't 
you glad? I thought you'd be overjoyed. Not at 
Genie's illness, but at Dotty's coming." 

" Did did you tell her she could come, Mother ? " 

" Surely, child. Won't you have the good times, 
though ! " 

" She can have the pink guest room," said Trudy, 
kindly. " That's almost next to Doll's room, and 
they can chum all they like. Hasn't Dotty been 
exposed, Mother?" 

" Yes, but she has had measles, so she's immune. 
But she can't go to school if she remains in the 
house where the illness is. So she's to come here." 

" When? " asked Dolly, in a queer, far-away voice. 

" Now ; right away," replied her mother. " We'll 
put aside that best lace bed-set, Trudy, and give her a 
plainer one." 

" Of course. I'll fix the room, Mother, you 
needn't give it a thought." 

" You're a great help, Trude," said Mrs. Fayre, 
smiling at her elder daughter. 

Meantime the younger daughter of the house of 
Fayre was struggling with her emotions. She didn't 
know whether to be sorry or glad. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

And before she had time to decide, Dotty arrived. 

" Isn't this great ? " she exclaimed in a state of 
excitement. " It's awful kind of you, Mrs. Fayre, 
to take me in, but you see, I'd hate so to be out of 
school just now. It's near examinations, and I do 
want to pass." 

" We'll pass you," said Mr. Fayre. " We'U put 
you through, with bells on ! But I expect you Two 
D's will chatter and giggle all the time instead of 
studying." 

" Oh, no, we won't," and from the cold smile Dotty 
flashed at her, Dolly understood the feud was as des- 
perate as ever, but the elders were to be kept in igno- 
rance of it. For a feud suspected by parents is as 
good as finished. No real feud can exist in the scath- 
ing beams of grown people's ridicule. 

So Dolly smiled coldly in return, and said, " No, 
indeed," in a tone that ought not to have deceived a 
feeble-minded jellyfish. 

Nor did it deceive Trudy. " Something's up," 
she thought, but wisely kept her thoughts to her- 
self. 

Later, when the girls went to bed, they parted at 
their doorways in the hall. 

" Good night, Dollyrinda," said Dotty, heartily, 
in a voice loud enough to be heard down-stairs, if 



MAD AND MEASLES 

any one chanced to be listening. " I'm fearfully 
tired, so I'll go right to bed." 

" Good night, Dotsie," returned the other guileful 
one. " You must be tired, with the worry about 
Genie, and all. Good night." 

The door shut and there was silence as far as the 
Two D's were concerned. 

" What can it be ? " thought Trudy, who had heard 
the high-pitched conversation. But she bided her 
time to find out. 

The next day was a trial. Being Sunday, the 
whole family was much together. The Two D's 
were at their wit's end to preserve an apparent 
friendliness, without showing each other any real 
diminution of their desperate hatred of one another. 
Trudy eyed them, when she could do so unobserved, 
and concluded that they were " mad at " each other. 
" Silly little geese ! " she thought, well remembering 
her own not so far past schooldays. 

She determined to give them every chance. 

" Going over to Treasure House ? " she inquired, 
soon after dinner. 

" Dunno. Do you want to go, Dot ? " said Dolly, 
with studied carelessness." 

" Oh, I don't care, Dolly. Just as you like," and 
Dotty's politeness was faultless. 
-C159> 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Of course you do," said Mr. Fayre, looking up 
from his paper. " What did I build that house for 
if you're not to use it? " 

"Shall we go, Dot?" 

" Yes, if you like." 

Dolly did not like, at all, but Mr. Fayre spoke up 
again. " Run along over, kiddies, and after a while, 
I'll saunter over myself. I haven't been there for a 
week, and I like to keep in touch with it." 

" All right, Dad. Come on, Dotty." 

The two girls went across the lawn, side by side. 

" Wonder how Genie is," said Dolly, with the laud- 
able intention of " making talk." 

" She isn't sick, you know," returned Dotty, cour- 
teously. " The doctor isn't sure it really is measles. 
But he'll know in a day or two." 

They went into Treasure House. Something 
about the look of the place got on Dolly's nerves. 
The lovely house, the dear furniture, the beautiful 
treasures, and then the two owners acting like a 
pair of silly idiots, it was too much ! But, whereas 
yesterday, she had felt sad and distressed, the long 
trying hours had made her irritable and angry, and 
as the door closed behind them, she burst out, " I 
think you're perfectly horrid, Dotty Rose ! " 

" So do I think you are, Dolly Fayre ! " 



MAD AND MEASLES 

" The idea of being mad at me, just because I want 
to do a deed of kindness for a friend ! " 

" She isn't jour friend." 

" Why, of course she's my friend " 

" You hardly know her 1 " 

"You don't have to know people such an awful 
lot to be friends with them, not if they're nice 
people." 

" Huh ! I s'pose I'm not nice people, then. 
iYou're not very friendly with me ! " 

" Neither are you with me ! " 

" You know why." 

" So do you know why." 

" I don't know why, and I don't care why. If 
you want old Bernice Forbes for your friend instead 
of me, you can have her, I don't care ! " 

"I don't want her instead of you " 

" You do so ! You like her because she's " 

" You stop that, Dotty Rose ! Don't you dare 
say that ! I'll like her if I want to, so there now, 
and you can think whatever you please ! I don't care 
what you think ! " 

A step on the porch sounded, and the angry com- 
batants, ashamed to be caught quarrelling, ran back 
to the dining-room. 

" Where are you, ladies of the house ? " called out 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Mr. Fayre, as he and Mrs. Fayre stepped into the 
study. 

" All right, be there in a minute," called Dotty in 
a cheery voice, as she mopped her heated brow with 
her handkerchief, and straightened her rumpled 
collar. 

And in a moment, two normally serene girls came 
in the room to receive their guests. 

" What were you talking about as we came up the 
steps ? " asked Mrs. Fayre, in idle curiosity ; " you 
were speaking so loudly and excitedly." 

" We were " began Dolly, and stopped. She 
was a truthful child, and since she didn't want to 
state the facts, she preferred to say nothing. Dotty 
too, began to speak and stopped. 

" Never mind, Mother," said Mr. Fayre, laughing, 
" let the girls have their little secrets." 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE FEAST THAT FAIUED 

THAT night the Two D's put off going to bed as long 
as possible, and when, at last, Mrs. Fayre sent them 
away, laughingly, they marched up-stairs like two 
deaf and dumb Drum Majors. 

" What's the matter with the kiddies ? " asked Mr. 
Fayre, who couldn't help noticing their demeanour. 

" I don't know, I'm sure," returned his wife. But 
Trudy laughed outright, and said : 

" I do. They're mad." 

"Mad?" 

" Yes. A school girl * mad,' you know. Neither 
will speak first it's beneath her dignity. They'll 
act like this a day or two longer, and then they'll 
make up. I know 'em ! " 

" Better speak to them, Mother," suggested Mr. 
Fayre, " and clear up matters. Seems silly to me." 

" Oh, I don't believe I'd better interfere. They'll 
fix it up themselves, if that's what's the matter. 
Some foolish quarrel, I suppose." 

" It isn't like them. They rarely quarrel." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Trudy looked thoughtful. " But I'm sure it is that. 
They never spoke to each other at supper, though 
each was gay and chatty with the rest of us." 

" Silly babies ! " said Mr. Fayre, smiling. " Let 
them work it out themselves, then." 

Meanwhile the " silly babies " were tossing on rest- 
less pillows. In adjoining rooms, Dolly and Dotty 
were thinking hard, though in different moods. 
Dotty was tumbling about the bed, throwing her arms 
out and digging her face in her pillow, in the inten- 
sity of her warring emotions. 

Dolly was lying quiet and straight, her eyes turned 
toward the ceiling, her heart throbbing, as she 
" thought it out." 

Both rooms were flooded with moonlight, and the 
two girls stayed awake far into the night. 

At last, about one o'clock, Dolly finished her cogi" 
tations. Deliberately, she rose and put on her dress- 
ing-gown and slippers. She went to Dotty's room, 
opened the door softly and walked in. Then she 
closed the door behind her, and going to the bedside, 
said: 

"You awake, Dots?" 

" Yep," came the surprised voice from the rumpled 
coverlets. 

" Well, sit up here, then. I've come to talk." 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

" Isn't isn't it late ? " and Dotty sat up, a little 
uncertain what attitude to assume. 

" Of course it's late. But I've got to have this 
thing out. I can't go on this way." 

" Nor I either, Doll ! " and Dotty leaned forward 
and threw her arms around Dolly's neck in a convul- 
sive hug that nearly strangled her. " Aren't we the 
silly geese to " 

" Now, you wait, Dotty Rose. After I say what 
I've come to say, you may not want " 

" Yes, I will, Dolly ! I don't care what you're 
going to say. You may jump on me all you like, I 
was a pig, but I'm sorry, and 

" I'm sorry, too ! You shan't be sorry before I 



am! 



i " 



" But I have to, Doll ! You know I'm always 
everything before you are. I'm quicker- jointed, or 
something. But never mind that, I've got you back, 
you dear old thing, and now you can go ahead and 
scold me, all you want to. Oh, Doll, hasn't it been 
horrid?" 

" Hasn't it ! Well, as we're all right again, let's 
have this Bernice business out once and for all. If 
you say so, Dotty, I'll give up trying to make her 
more popular. I've thought it all out, and it's this 
way. You're my best friend, and I want you to be, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

and if it bothers you so to have me friendly with her, 
why, I won't be, that's all." 

" Oh, Dollyrinda, how sweet you are ! You make 
me feel like an awful pig. But you see, well, I 
s'pose I was jealous. I thought you'd like Bernice 
more and more, till you liked her better'n every- 
body and better'n me. And I just couldn't stand 
it!" 

" Why, Dorothy Rose ! The idea of your think- 
ing that ! " and Dolly clasped the tousled black head 
to her breast and kissed the tear-wet cheeks. " We're 
special friends, nobody could come between us! 
They'd just better try it ! " 

" Then that's all right ! " and Dotty's quick-work- 
ing mentality jumped to a happy conclusion of their 
troubles. " Now, look here, Doll, you don't have to 
throw Bernice over entirely." 

" I will, if you want me to." 

" But I don't want you to. Your idea of making 
her one of our set is all right, now that I know we're 
all right. And I'll help you." 

"Will you? Oh, Dot, then we can do it. We'll 
have to plan it " 

" Oh, of course 1 You'd have to plan, if it was only 
to eat your dinner ! " and Dotty affectionately pulled 
the golden curls. "And say, old Dollypops, we 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

haven't planned much for our luncheon next Satur- 
day." 

" Couldn't very well, when we were mad. Oh, Dot, 
wasn't it horrid in the house yesterday morning? " 

" Horrid all the time. Hasn't to-day been aw- 
ful?" 

" Yep. But it was funny you had to come over 
here to stay just now." 

" Awful funny. Now about Saturday " 

" No, sir ! Not now about Saturday. Do you 
know what time it is ? " 

" Nixy ; and I don't care." 

" Well, I do. It's 'most two o'clock, and Mother 
will give us Jesse to-morrow if she hears us talking so 
long. So you go by-by, and I will too, and we'll plan 
by daylight. Good night, old girl." 

" Good night, Dollums, and I am sorry I was hor- 
rid." 

" So'm I, that I was." 

And peace being declared and ratified, the Two 
D's went to sleep so successfully that they were late to 
breakfast. 

" The country's safe," remarked Trudy, after the 
pair had started for school. 

" How do you know ? " asked her mother. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Signs. Lots of 'em. They talked to each other, 
not at each other. And they smiled and sang, and 
were generally in fine spirits." 

" Well, I'm glad of it. I hate to have them so 
childish and silly." 

" I 'spect all girls are. They'll outgrow it. And 
they are two such sensible, nice, little girl chums, that 
I don't believe it will happen often." 

Nor did it. In all their lives, Dotty and Dolly 
never again had one of those foolish " mads " that 
most school girls know so well. 

They had differences of opinion frequently, very 
frequently ; and often they had hot, hasty words ; but 
the quarrels were of short duration, and ended ami- 
cably and lovingly. 

The Saturday luncheon was duly planned. They 
invited Maisie, the two Rawlins girls and Celia. 
Dolly would have liked to ask Bernice and Dotty was 
more than willing, but they had only room for six, 
and too, they knew all the girls would like it better 
without the stranger, and so for this time they de- 
cided against her, agreeing that they would invite her 
some time soon. 

It was to be a very festal occasion. More, the 
whole luncheon was to be the work of the two girls 
themselves. Not everything was to be made in 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

Treasure House, but no one save the Two D's could 
have a hand in the preparations. 

And so, when Saturday morning came, they were 
up bright and early to begin their work. Dotty was 
still at the Fayres' ; Genie, though better was still 
housed, and the time was not yet up when Dotty 
could return home. 

" It doesn't seem fair, Doll," said Dotty as, swathed 
in big aprons, they went into the Fayre kitchen, " for 
me to work over here. We've always divided the work 
before." 

" That doesn't matter. What do you want for the 
cake?" 

" A big bowl and a spoon. I'll measure out the 
things myself." 

" All right, and I'll make the salad dressing now." 

Two busy bees worked all the morning, barely hav- 
ing time to set the table in Treasure House and ar- 
range some flowers there before their guests came. 

" Goodness, there they are ! " cried Dotty, as she 
set a saucepan of lard on their kitchenette stove to 
heat. " I can't leave this, Doll, so you go in and do 
the polite, and I'll run in when I can. They won't 
mind." 

So Dolly, serene and smiling, met the girls, who all 
came together. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" What a jolly lark ! " exclaimed Maisie ; " the idea 
of you two girls having a lunch party ! " 

" And cooking everything ourselves," added Dolly. 
" Dot's in the kitchen yet, struggling with foods. 
Take off your things." 

The guests complied, keeping up a perfect stream 
of chatter as they looked about and admired every- 
thing in sight. 

All had been there before, but not to a regular in- 
vited feast, and the occasion was a great one. 

" If I had a house like this," declared Ethel Raw- 
lins, " I wouldn't ask any more favours of Fate for 
twenty years ! " 

" Nor I," agreed Celia. " Isn't it wonderful ! 
Don't you just adore it, Dolly? " 

" Indeed we do yes, all right ! " This last in 
answer to a frantic call from Dotty, in the kitchen- 
ette. " Excuse me, girls, Dot's come to grief, some- 
how. Amuse yourselves till I come back." 

Dolly hurried to the rescue, and found Dotty 
throwing dish-towels into the croquette kettle. 

" The old thing caught fire somehow ! " she ex- 
claimed, dancing about, " and, I never thought of it 
before, but, Dolly, do you think the house is in- 
sured? " 

" Goodness, I don't know ! But never mind that, 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

now; it isn't going to burn down. Can we save the 
croquettes, or what shall we have for lunch? " 

Gingerly with a fork they picked up the towels, 
and found a number of black, dried-up cylinders that 
had once been Dotty's carefully shaped croquettes. 

" Nothing doing ! " said Dolly, philosophically, as 
she gazed at the charred remains. " You got the lard 
too hot, Dotsie." 

" So I notice ! Well, we'll have to cut out the cro- 
quette course." 

" No matter. I'll skip over home and get a platter 
of cold lamb, there was a lot left last night, I know. 
You chin with the girls, and I'll fly." 

Dolly scooted out at the back door of Treasure 
House, and across to her own home, and soon re- 
turned with a dainty dish of sliced lamb. 

Then she busied herself with her own allotment of 
the preparations, and began to heat the soup. 

" 'Most ready ? " said Dotty, flying in suddenly, 
and startling Dolly so she nearly dropped the pepper- 
box. 

" Yes, in a minute. Fill the water glasses, set the 
fruit thing-a-ma-jigs on the table, cut the bread, 
oh, no, we have rolls, well, get them fixed, and hunt 
up the butter and oh, my gracious, the salad has 
upset ! " 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Not really ! " 

" Not entirely ; I can straighten it out, I guess. 
Oh, why did we ask them to come so early ! I've 
heaps to do. You put the cocoa in the silver pot, 
won't you? and, oh Dot, the olives haven't been 
opened yet ! " 

" I'll do it. Where's the opener-thing? " 

" I don't know. I guess there isn't any over 
here" 

" I guess there is. Here it is, but it won't work. 
You give it a pull, Dolly." 

Both girls, together and in turn, pulled at the re- 
fractory cork of the olive bottle, for without olives, 
no school girl lunch is complete! But it refused to 
budge. Now, the ways of corks are most mischievous. 
Just as they were about to give it up, a last strong 
pull brought the cork out with a jerk, and the two 
D's fell in a heap in the middle of the kitchenette, 
with such a clatter of accompanying dishes, that the 
guests came running out to see what was the matter. 

They found their hostesses scrambling up from the 
floor, laughing, but pretty much upset withal. 

"It was that old cork," explained Dotty. "It 
wouldn't come out, and then all of a sudden it couldn't 
get out quick enough! 'Scuse us girls, for such a 

cm:}- 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

racketty performance, but truly, everything is going 
screw-wampus to-day ! " 

" Let us help," begged Grace ; " oh, do let us, 
please." 

" Yes, do help," said Dolly, who was at the end of 
her rope. " You, Grace, see if everything is on the 
table that ought to be there. Ethel, please put some 
sugar in this bowl, there's the box, and Celia, 
won't you set these salad plates on the side table? 
Maisie May, you just stand around and look pretty, 
I don't know of anything else for you to do. Now, 
I'll take up the soup, oh, no, I won't. We must eat 
the fruit thingumbob first. Come on, let's do that. 
I don't see how people ever get the things ready at the 
right time. Everything here is either too ready or 
not enough so. Come on, friends. You sit here, 
Maisie, and Grace, here." 

Laughing gaily, the girls took their seats, and de- 
lightedly attacked the dainty first course. It was a 
combination of various fruits, orange, pineapple 
and crimson cherries, served in delicate slender- 
stemmed glasses. 

" I just love this fruit muddle," said Maisie, " and 
this is the best ever ! Who made it ? " 

" I did," said Dolly, with pardonable pride. " It 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

took most of the morning, though, that's why every- 
thing else fell behind. It isn't hard to make, but it 
takes forever." 

The Two D's were to take turns in changing the 
plates, so Dolly rose to bring in the soup. Very 
pretty it looked, in the bouillon cups, but after the 
first taste Celia hurriedly caught up her glass of 
water. 

" Look out ! " she cautioned, but too late. Nearly 
every girl had taken a spoonful of soup, before she 
discovered it was burning hot with pepper! When 
Dotty had come upon Dolly in the act of seasoning the 
soup, she startled her so, that far more pepper went 
in than was meant, and the result was appalling. 

Eagerly the girls sipped the cold water, and with 
tears running down their cheeks from the pungent 
taste and odour, they protested that " they didn't 
mind it ! " 

4 

" I like peppery soup," said Grace, politely. 

" But you don't like soupy pepper, do you ? " 
gasped Dotty, " and that's what this is ! " 

Then Dolly, crestfallen and chagrined, but trying 
to be merry, took away the soup, and brought the 
cold lamb, and the salad. 

The lamb was all that it should be; but the salad 
dressing had separated itself into its original in- 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

gradients, after the manner of some ill-natured salad 
dressings. This was harrowing, but Dolly smiled 
bravely, and acknowledged it was her first attempt. 

" Don't you mind, Doll," said Grace, comfortingly ; 
" not one of us could make a better one. And with 
the olives and all, you don't notice anything the mat- 
ter." 

But the crowning blow came with the dessert. The 
girls had made lovely home-made ice cream, and had 
frozen it with the greatest care. This they felt sure 
would be right, for they had made it before many 
times. 

But, alas, by some oversight, the freezer had been 
left outdoors in the sun, the ice had been insufficient, 
and the result, instead of a finely moulded form, was 
a lot of thick creamy liquid. 

"Don't you care!" cried Ethel. "I just love 
soft ice cream. Call it a pudding, and let it go at 
that. Come, Dot, brace up. Who cares for the oc- 
casional slips of young housekeepers? Cut the cake 
and pass it to us, and give us some of that delicious- 
looking ice cream custard ! " 

The cake had turned out fairly decent, but not up 
to the mark. Dotty was a good cake maker but 
making it in a strange kitchen and baking it in a 
strange oven had made a difference, and the fluffy 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

sponge cake she usually achieved, showed up a close, 
almost soggy, and very sticky compound. 

" I'm just ready to cry," said Dotty, as she looked 
at the dessert, from which they had hoped such great 
things. 

" Don't do anything so foolish," said Dolly. " We 
slipped up on 'most everything, but we tried hard 
enough, goodness knows! If you're hungry, girls, 
there are cookies in the cupboard, and there's plenty 
of cocoa." 

" I'll take some, please," said Maisie, so plain- 
tively, that they all laughed. And then they all fell 
to on the previously despised cookies, and under the 
cheer and raillery of their guests, the two D's finally 
regained their poise, and laughed themselves at their 
chapter of accidents. 

" Call it * The Feast That Failed,' and let it go at 
that," said Dotty. 

"It wasn't a failure at all," protested Celia. 
" We've had heaps of fun." 

" Yes, it was a failure," insisted Dotty ; " and we'll 
have to learn to do better. Why, when the boys come 
home, they'll make all sorts of fun of us, if we can't 
do better than this." 

"We will do better than this," declared Dolly, 



THE FEAST THAT FAILED 

"We'll ask you again, girls, and show you how great 
an improvement second attempts are ! " 

" Then I'm glad of this frolic," said Grace, " for 
it means we get two parties instead of one." 

" Just what you might have expected," said Trudy, 
laughing till the tears rolled down her cheeks at the 
DV account of the feast. " You little geese, not to 
know that you couldn't do it! Now, I'll take you 
in hand, and give you a few practical lessons, and then 
when the boys come home, you can astonish them with 
your skill and dexterity." 

" All right," said Dolly. " I'll try to learn, won't 
you, Dots?" 

"Well, I rather just guess yes!" exclaimed the 
other D. 



cm:}- 



CHAPTER XIV 

NEWS INDEED ! 

" I HAVE a piece of news for you," said Mr. Fayre, as 
the family sat at dinner one night. 

"What is it, Dads?" asked Dolly, as her father 
paused. 

He was still silent, and his face looked a little grave 
as his eyes rested in turn on his two daughters and on 
their guest, for Dotty was still there. After a 
moment, he said: 

" I'm afraid it will hit you hard, Trudy, and I know 
it will make Dolly miserable. So I hate to tell you. 
But it must be told. I've been ordered to Buffalo." 

For a moment the girls didn't take in just what he 
meant, then Trudy cried, " Go to Buffalo ! To live ? 
All of us?" 

" Well, Trude, I certainly couldn't leave any of my 
family behind me. Mother and I are going, and I 
guess you girls better come along too." 

Dolly sat looking at her father, her eyes very wide 
and very blue as she thought over what he was say- 
ing. 

" We can't do it," she said, finally, and as if she 



NEWS INDEED! 

were disposing of the whole matter : " I can't go away 
from Berwick to live." 

" But, Dolly dear, where would you live, here alone ? 
In Treasure House ? " 

" She can live with me ! " exclaimed Dotty, excit- 
edly. " Why, she'll hav e to. I won't let my Dolly- 
rinda go away from Berwick. She's mine, and I've 
got to keep her ! " 

" Is it really true, Father ? " asked Trudy, looking 
very thoughtful. " Must we go ? " 

" Yes, dear," answered Mr. Fayre. " The com- 
pany has transferred me to the Buffalo office, and 
I must obey or leave the road. You know a freight 
superintendent is under orders from his superiors." 

" There isn't anybody superior to you, Daddy," 
said Dolly, who was looking blank and stunned at the 
news she had heard. " Can't you tell the president, 
or whoever is sending you, that you won't go ? " 

" I might, Dolly ; but that might mean my entire 
dismissal, and who'd buy your hair-ribbons then, my 
girl?" 

" But to Buffalo ! " wailed Dolly. " We might as 
well go to Timbuctoo ! " 

" It's awful," said Trudy, with a long-drawn sigh. 
" Did you know about it, Mother ? " 

" Yes, some days ago. And I knew how sorry you 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

girls would feel. But I know you'll brace up and 
meet the disappointment bravely, for Father's sake. 
He doesn't want to hurt his girls so, but he can't help 
it." 

" What will Bert say? " said Dolly ; " won't he be 
mad!" 

" I don't think Bert will care as much as you girls," 
began Mr. Fayre, when Dotty interrupted : " My 
Dollyrinda shan't go! I won't have it! I'll make 
my father buy her for me, and keep her here ! That's 
what I'll do!" 

"Don't be silly, Dots," said Dolly, who was be- 
ginning to realise that this thing was a fact. Appar- 
ently her parents had already become used to the idea, 
and were regretting it principally on the girls' ac- 
count. 

" Do you want to go, Father ? " Dolly asked. 
" Would you just as lieve live in horrid old Buffalo 
as here in beautiful, lovely Berwick? " 

" No, Dolly, I wouldn't. But I must obey orders." 

" Whose orders ? " 

" The general manager, child." 

"Why, that's Mr. Forbes, isn't it? Bernice 
Forbes' father?" 

" That's the man." 

" Is he sending you away ? " 



NEWS INDEED! 

Not directly ; that is, not personally. But he 
and the board of directors have combined to decree 
this thing. They consider it an honour, Dolly. It is 
a better position, financially, and I have earned it by 
my integrity and exemplary behaviour ! " Mr. Fayre 
smiled at his younger daughter, and was so honestly 
sorry for her that he didn't know what to do. 

" Well, Daddy, I can't stand it," and Dolly shook 
her head. " I'll just die, that's all. I couldn't live 
anywhere except here. You couldn't get me another 
Treasure House, or another Dotty Rose, or all our 
crowd at school, or anything that I have here." 

" But Buffalo may be full of Dotty Roses and 
Treasure Houses and school crowds, that are heaps 
nicer than the Berwick variety ! " Mr. Fayre tried to 
speak gaily, but at these words Dolly burst into tears 
and Dotty followed suit. 

The family left the table, and though they tried to 
have calm and general conversation the effort was 
vain, and very soon the Two D's went off up-stairs. 

They went to Dolly's pretty bedroom, and here 
their woe broke out afresh. 

" Oh," wailed Dolly, " I can't leave this room, this 
pretty, sweet, lovely room, and go to old Buffalo, to 
sleep in an attic with rats gnawing me ! " 

" Why would you do that ? " and Dotty stopped 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

midway of a sob to understand this dire prognosti- 
cation. 

" Well, it's as bad as that, whatever it is." 

" But if your father gets more money, more salary, 
you know, maybe you'll have a grand house, like the 
Forbeses." 

" I don't want a grand house. If it's in Buffalo at 
all, I'd just as lieve have the ratty attic as anything 
else ! " and Dolly renewed her weeping. She rocked 
her plump body back and forth in paroxysms of woe, 
and wailed out new horrors as they came to her dis- 
torted imagination. 

" / know the sort of girls they'll have there. All 
wearing shirtwaists and old ribbon bands round their 
foreheads ! Oh, I know ! " 

" How do you know ? " and Dotty's admiration rose 
at these strange revelations. 

" Oh, I sort of see them, the horrid bunch ! I hate 
to see girls of our age in shirtwaists, and I know 
they'll all have them. And the boys will be horrid, 
too. Not nice, like our brothers and Tad and Tod, 
but all sort of outgrown ! " 

" My ! Buffalo must be an awful place ! " 

" It isn't only Buffalo, it's any place in the United 
States, except Berwick. Don't you see it, Dotty? 



NEWS INDEED! 

Don't you know it must be so? And if not just as 
I've described, it's something equally worse ! " 

" Yes, I s'pose so," returned Dotty, awed by this 
instinctive knowledge of Dolly's. 

" But I've got to go, all the same. So I've got to 
make up my mind to it." 

" You shan't go, and you shan't make up your mind 
to it ! I won't have it. Say, Doll, how about this ? 
If you do go, you visit me six months every year, 
and I'll visit you six months." 

" No ; if I go, I shall give you up entirely, and get 
a new chum up there. I can't have my most intimate 
friend a million miles away. And you know our 
people wouldn't agree to that six months business." 

" You'll get a new chum ! Dorinda Fayre, I think 
you're the most awful girl I ever saw ! I believe you 
want to go to your horrid old Buffalo, and have a girl 
with a shirtwaist on, for your intimate friend, and a 
band around her forehead ! " 

" Oh, hush up, Dotty ! I didn't mean that, and 
you know it! But I'm beside myself, I don't know 
what I'm saying!" 

And then the two girls gave way to such desper- 
ate and uncontrollable sobbing, that Trudy heard 
them and came to their room. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Dolly ! Dolly ! " she exclaimed. " Oh, you poor 
little girl! Don't cry so, darling. Try to stop, 
you'll make yourself ill. Dotty, be quiet, dear." 

Trudy's soft voice calmed the turbulent ones a 
little, and she went on talking. 

" Listen, Dollykins. I don't want to leave Berwick, 
either. I have lots of friends here " 

"And beaux," put in Dotty, suddenly realising 
Trudy's trials, too. 

" Yes," Trudy agreed, smiling, " and beaux. But 
probably beaux grow in Buffalo, and friends of other 
sorts too. Now, I don't in the least undervalue what 
it means to you two girls to part, but, Dolly, it can't 
be helped. Father has to go. Now, oughtn't we to 
help him, by unselfishly forgetting our wishes, and 
going cheerfully? That's the only way we can help 
Dad, and I think it's our duty to do it." 

" I know it is," sobbed Dolly, " but I always did 
hate to do my duty ! " 

" But you always do it," and Trudy smiled at her 
little sister. " I've never known you to shirk a duty 
because you hated to do it." 

" But I never had such a big, horrid, awful bad 
duty before." 

" No ; and that's all the more reason why you must 
meet this one bravely. Now, don't think any more 
-C18O 



NEWS INDEED! 

about the whole thing to-night. Go to bed and to 
sleep, and to-morrow things will look brighter." 

The girls both felt sure they would lie awake all 
night, but so exhausted were they by their strenuous 
grief, they fell asleep before they knew it. 

But Dolly woke early in the dawn of morning, and 
she lay there in her pretty green room, thinking it 
out. And somehow, her thinking cheered her, for at 
rising time, Dotty awoke to see a smiling Dolly bend- 
ing over her. 

" Wake up, old sleepyhead ! Get your eyes open, 
and rise to greet the morn ! " 

Dotty rubbed her half-open black eyes, and strove 
to remember what was the matter after all. Then it 
all came back to her. 

" Buffalo ! " she said, sitting up in bed. " Buff-a- 
lo!" 

" Never mind Buffalo," and Dolly kept on smiling. 
" You wake up, and get yourself up into Berwick. 
And if you'll be a good girl, some day I'll tell you 
something." 

" You've been thinking it out ! " exclaimed Dotty. 
" I know you ! Don't deny it ! " 

" 'Course I've been thinking it out. But don't you 
tell anybody that I have. You get dressed, instanter ! 
Do you hear ? " 



Dotty heard, and obeyed, and soon two calm, serene 
girls were on their way down to breakfast. 

The subject was not mentioned at the table. The 
elders purposely avoided it, and the Two D's had no 
desire to discuss it. 

It was only as she was starting for school, that 
Dolly said to her mother, with a quivering lip, " Mum- 
sie when " 

" In about a month, dear," said Mrs. Fayre, kiss- 
ing the trembling mouth. " Don't begin to think 
about it yet." 

The two D's started off in silence. After a block 
or so, Dotty said, " Shall you tell the girls ? " 

"No," said Dolly, shortly. "Don't mention it, 
Dot. This afternoon in the house, I'll tell you some- 
thing." 

Dotty could scarcely wait till afternoon, and then 
when that time arrived, Dolly decreed that they 
should learn their lessons first, before she told the 
" something." 

" You're getting terribly good ! " grumbled Dotty. 

" I know it. I've got to be. Perhaps then I'll get 
something I want." 

So the two studied like everything, until they both 
declared they really knew all the next day's lessons. 
They even heard each other some of the very hardest 



NEWS INDEED! 

ones, and then, they sat down together before the 
fire for the " something." 

" Here it is," said Dolly, soberly. " I'm going to 
get Father let off from that transfer to Buffalo." 

" You can't," said Dotty, with an air of calm con- 
viction. 

" I know I can't, but I'm going to all the same. 
Father doesn't want to go, neither does Mother. 
Nor Trudy ; nor me. So why should we go ? " 

" 'Cause your father is sent." 

" Yes, that's just it. But I'm going to get him 
unsent." 

" Amend the Constitution? " 

" Just about that. Now, look here, Dot : Who is 
sending Dad? " 

" Mr. Forbes." 

" Of course he is. He's Father's boss. Now, who 
is Mr. Forbes' boss ? " 

" The president of the railroad, I s'pose." 

" Not at all. Mr. Forbes is bossed and ruled and 
absolutely commanded by " 

" Bernice ! " 

" Yes, of course. He worships and idolises his 
motherless girl. And, listen, now; through Bernice 
I'm going to get Father repealed, or whatever you 
call it." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

"Can you?" 

" I will, whether I can or not." 

" Will your father like it? " 

" He won't know, till it's all over. And if I fail, 
which I won't, he need never know. I've thought it 
out, and it isn't wrong; there isn't a wrong thing 
about it. Bernice can make her father do anything 
in the world she wants to. I know that. So she can 
get him to change his mind about my father, if I can 
persuade her to do it. I mean, if I can persuade her 
to persuade her father." 

" It's a fine scheme, Dollops, but I can't seem to 
see it succeeding. Bernice can make her father do 
anything she wants for herself, but this is different. 
Why should, she bother her father for your father's 
sake?" 

" I don't know," and Dolly looked uncertain ; " but 
I'm going to try to make her do it, and sumpum tells 
me I shall conquer in the fight ! " 

Dolly looked so jubilant, so already victorious, 
that Dotty hadn't the heart to express further doubt. 
And too, Dotty had great faith in Dolly's powers of 
success when she set to work in earnest. And she 
surely was very much in earnest now. 

" Aren't you going to tell Trudy or your mother? " 

" No ; nobody at all but you. Maybe I'll tell Bert, 



NEWS INDEED! 

when he comes home for Thanksgiving. He could 
help me." 

" / can help you ! I mean, I will, if you'll tell me 
what to do." 

" Indeed you can help me, Dot. I couldn't do it 
at all without your help. See here, you don't under- 
stand yet. If Bernice makes her father do this thing, 
it'll be because she herself wants me to stay in Ber- 
wick. And here's why. Because, if Bernice does 
what I want her to, I'm going to make her the most 
popular girl in town ! " 



CHAPTER XV 

DOLLY AND BERNICE 

DOLLY went alone to see Bernice. She had wanted 
Dotty with her for aid and sympathy, but on thinking 
it over, she decided it would be better to go alone 
first. 

The Forbes house was impressive, the man who 
opened the door to Dolly's ring was awe-inspiring, but 
of these things Dolly was not afraid. Her fear was 
that she would not be able to present in the most per- 
suasive way, the strange matter on which she had 
come. 

When Bernice came into the reception room, she 
found Dolly so deep in thought she scarcely heard 
her. 

" Hello, Dolly Fayre," said the hostess, looking at 
her inquiringly. " What do you want ? " 

" You never could guess," returned Dolly, not re- 
senting this somewhat ungracious greeting. 

" Oh, yes, I can, you want to beg some money for 
some High School performance, or else you want me 
to be on some rubbishy old committee. You never 
-C190> 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

came here just because you wanted to see me, my- 
self." 

This frightened Dolly, for it struck perilously near 
the truth. But she plunged boldly in. 

" You're not far out, Bernice, and yet it's nothing 
about school. Can any one hear us ? " 

" No ; but I'll shut this door. Now, what is it? " 

Bernice's curiosity was roused by Dolly's, air of re- 
pressed excitement, and her very evident embar- 
rassment. At least, something unusual was com- 
ing. 

" Bernice," she began, " you know my father is in 
the employ of your father's railroad. My father is 
in the freight department " 

" Yes, I know it. What of it? " 

" Well, your father has ordered my father to be 
transferred to Buffalo." 

" Oh, Dolly, I don't want you to go to Buffalo. 
Why, you're the only friend I have in Berwick." 

" Well, this is the point, Bernice. You ought to 
have more friends in Berwick. With your home and 
everything, you ought to be the most popular girl in 
town." 

" I'm not ! " and Bernice laughed grimly. 

" That's partly your own fault, and partly not. 
Now, if you'll persuade your father to retract that 

-D9O 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

order and let my father stay in Berwick, I'll make you 
popular, I will honest ! " 

Dolly's eyes beamed with earnestness. Her plea 
was out, now it was to follow it up. 

" I know that sounds crazy," she went on, " but 
think a minute, Bernice. Your father and mine are 
splendid business men, so perhaps we inherit their 
business talent. So let's make a business deal. If I 
can make good, and put you in the front ranks of our 
crowd, will you try to coax your father to do what I 
want?" 

" Why, Dolly Fayre, what an idea ! " 

" I know it. But I don't want to leave Berwick, 
none of us do, and yet, we'll have to go, unless your 
father changes the orders. I'd ask him myself, only 
I know he wouldn't listen to me, but he would to 
you." 

" Does your father know you're doing this ? " 

" Mercy, no ! I wouldn't have him know it for the 
world! It isn't wrong, Bernice, and it isn't under- 
handed or anything like that. You know yourself, 
how the railroad men are ordered here and there. 
Now it seems to me some one else might as well be 
sent to Buffalo, and my father left in the New York 
office, where he is now. Don't you think so? If 
only your father will agree." 




\ X 



'I'll make you popular, I will honest!" 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

Dolly looked very pleading. Her little face looked 
up into Bernice's with a wistful, hopeful smile. Her 
hands were clasped in the intensity of her feeling, 
and her voice quivered as she made her plea. 

Bernice looked at her. " I don't know why I 
should do this for you, Dolly Fayre," she said, at 
last. " You're the most popular girl in Berwick, you 
and Dotty Rose. Now, if you go away, I'll stand a 
better chance of getting in your crowd, in your place, 
than if you stay here." 

Dolly hadn't thought of this. Nor did it strike 
her at the moment what a selfish and self-seeking 
spirit Bernice showed. She knit her brows as she 
thought deeply what to say next. 

" You see," Bernice went on, " I've always wanted 
to be in your set. It's the nicest set of all. And 
when I was in Grammar School of course I couldn't, 
but now we're all in High, I want to be one of you. 
And I'll do anything I can to get there. But I think 
I'd stand a better chance with you away. Then I'd 
be friends with Dotty Rose in your place, maybe." 

Dolly looked aghast. Such presumption! But 
the absurdity of the idea brought her to her senses. 

" Not much you wouldn't, Bernie ! " she said. 
" Dot is willing to do a lot for you if I stay here. 
But she knows I'm saying all this to you, and if you 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

don't help me about Father's position with the road, 
you can just bet Dotty Rose won't have anything to 
do with you, nor will any one else in our set ! " 

" Look here, Dolly, isn't this what the boys call a 
'hold-up'?" 

Dolly laughed. " It did sound like that, but listen, 
Bernice. It's a straight proposition. You want to 
be in our set, really in it and of it. Well, I'll see to 
it that you get there, if you'll coax your father to let 
my father stay here. That's all, and I don't think 
it's mean or hold-uppish. I think it's a fair deal be- 
tween us. I don't know what my father would say if 
he knew I asked you, but even though he might think 
it undignified or silly, he couldn't say it was really 
wrong. Now, could he?" 

" No," agreed Bernice, " there's nothing wrong 
about it. But can you do your part? " 

"Can you?" 

" Yes, I know I could. I can make Dad do any- 
thing. He spoils me, and he'd move to Kam- 
chatka if I wanted to, or send anybody else there if I 
said so." 

" Yes, I knew he was like that. It's a shame, Ber- 
nie, with all your lovely home and privileges and 
everything, that you're not top of the heap here." 

" Well, I'm not. And I'm not at all sure, Dolly 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

Fayre, that you can help to put me anywhere near the 
top." 

" Oh, yes, I can." 

" How ? By making the girls come to see me ? Or 
by forcing the boys to dance with me? I know of 
your efforts in those directions, and don't you s'pose 
they make me feel cheap ? " 

" Bernice, I don't wonder. And I'm glad you 
spoke like that. No, I don't mean to do it that way, 
not entirely. But if we go into this bargain, you 
and I, it must be a real bargain, and you must help, 
not hinder any part of it." 

" Oh, Dolly, I'd only be too glad to help. If I 
could be popular, I don't mean actually top of the 
heap, but just liked by the crowd, I'd be so glad. 
And if you could help bring it about, I'd make father 
do what you want. I know I could* But, I won't 
do it unless you do what you say you will." 

" All right, Bernice," and Dolly looked thoughtful. 
" But, you see, if Dad's orders are changed, I suppose 
it ought to be done at once. And I can't do my part 
all in a jiffy, it will naturally take a little time." 

" Yes, I see that. When does your father expect 
to go?" 

" In about a month." 

" That'll be the middle of December. S'pose I get 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Father to postpone the date till, say, after Christmas. 
The first of the year they often make changes. 
That'll give you nearly two months, and if things are 
working all right by then, I can easily make Father 
let you stay here. Why, if I told him I wanted you 
here in Berwick, he'd make any arrangements to keep 
you here." 

" Then do it now ! " and Dolly's eyes danced at this 
easy settlement of the whole matter. 

" Nixy ! You haven't done a thing yet ! I don't 
want to be mean about this, but well, you know 
what I do want and it's up to you." 

" All right, Bernice. Will you ask your father, 
to-night, to put off Dad's transfer till after the holi- 
days?" 

" Yes, I will, and he'll ho it. Now, what are you 
going to do first ? " 

" First of all, I'm going to talk to you like a Dutch 
uncle ! " Dolly's eyes were dancing now. Her aim 
was accomplished, at least, in part, and her well 
thought out campaign was about to be begun. 

" You see, Bernice, all I can do will not count at all 
unless you do something to help along. And what 
you've got to do, is to change your way with 'em. 
Now, wait a minute. You're pretty and bright and 
you have lovely clothes and all that, but you go 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

around with a chip on your shoulder ! Yes, you do, 
and it upsets your whole apple-cart! Now, you've 
just simply got to be sunny and sweet and if you think 
you see little slights or mean things, swallow them 
and keep on smiling. I know that sounds hard, even 
sounds silly, but that's all there is to it. You've got 
to break down that sort of barrier you've built up 
around you. Do you know what they say about 
you? They say you're stuck-up. That's an awful 
thing in our crowd. We don't like stuck-up people. 
You're so rich, you see, so much richer than any of 
the rest of us, that we feel sort of shy of you, unless 
you come down to our level. I mean our level as to 
grandeur and style and those things. We don't care 
if you have silk dresses when we have gingham, if you 
don't rub it in. Oh, don't you see what I mean? " 

" I don't know as I do, Dolly," and Bernice looked 
very serious. " But I begin to, and I do believe I 
can learn. But it's so hard when everybody turns 
the cold shoulder, and nobody wants to speak to 
me." 

" But it's so much your own fault ! Have you ever 
tried, real hard, to be nice to any of the girls ? Real 
up and down nice? " 

" No, I've been too busy paying them back for the 
snubs they gave me." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" That's just itl And they only snubbed you be- 
cause they thought you were snubbing them. Oh, I 
know all about it, Bernice. Don't you s'pose I've 
heard them talk you over? And the boys. They say 
you're a pretty girl and a good dancer, but well, 
I'm going to tell you right out, for I believe it will 
help you, they call you a lemon ! " 

" They do, do they? Then I don't want anything 
to do with them ! " 

" Yes, you do ! Now, hold on ; they call you that, 
'cause you are lemony to them! You know your- 
self that you snip and snap the boys awfully. They 
won't stand it." 

" But, Dolly, I haven't the sweet sunny disposition 
that you have." 

" Then get it ! You can, if you want to. Good 
gracious, Bernice, if you want to be popular and have 
a good time, isn't it just too easy to quit being a sour 
old lemon and work up an amiable manner? Any- 
body would think I was asking you to do something 
hard! Why, it's easier to be pleasant than not, if 
you only think so ! Now, that's part of your part. 
Next, you must invite people here." 

" Give a party ? " 

"Yes, if you like. I meant ask just a few at a 
time. But it would be a good scheme to start in with 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

quite a party. Not too gorgeous, but a nice, right 
party." 

" It'll be my birthday week after next, I might 
have it then." 

" Just the thing ! You do that, and let me help 
plan your party. You mustn't have a grand ball, 
you know." 

" I'll do just as you say, Dolly," replied Bernice, 
meekly. 

"All right," and Dolly laughed. "This is like 
planning a campaign, and I s'pose it's sort of foolish 
for girls of our age, but you're in wrong, and if I can 
set you right, I'm only too glad to. And I can, if 
you'll do as I say." 

" I'm jolly glad to do as you say! But will the 
crowd come to my party ? " 

" 'Course they will. I'll make 'em. Now, wait, I 
know you don't like to have them come 'cause they're 
made to, but it's got to be that way at first, and then 
it's up to you to make it so pleasant they'll want to 
come again." 

" But seems to me I'm doing most of this." 

" Oh, that's the way it seems to you, does it ? Does 
it! Well, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but you 
try it without me, and see where you bring up ! " 

Dolly was a little annoyed at Bernice's readiness to 
-C199> 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

accept her advices and ignore the very real help that 
Dolly was able and willing to give. 

" I know, Dolly. I sort of forgot myself." 

" Well, you try to remember yourself ! And re- 
member too, that while I want you to be one of us, 
at the same time, I'm bothering about you for the 
reason I told you when I first came here. I'm not 
doing it for your sake, but for my own. And, 
another thing. I want to stay in Berwick mostly, 
because Dotty Rose is here, and she and I are inti- 
mate friends and always will be. She's ready and 
glad to help us in this scheme, but it's because she 
wants to keep me here in Berwick. So, Bernice 
Forbes, don't you try to come between Dot and me, 
for it won't do a bit of good and it will do you a lot 
of harm." 

" I won't, honest, Dolly. But does Dotty know all 
about your plan? " 

" Every bit. And I tell you, Bernie, if Dot and I 
set out to make you have a good time, you'll have it, 
and that's all there is about that ! " 

" I believe you, and I'm glad you're so outspoken, 
Dolly. Now, honest, I'm going to try, but you don't 
know how hard it is to be nice to those girls when they 
turn aside and whisper to each other about me and 
all things like that." 



DOLLY AND BERNICE 

" They won't do that, Bernice, if you act differ- 
ently toward them. Now, look here. You talk over 
your party with your father and if he says you can 
have it, get your invitations out soon. My brother 
and Dot's will be home for Thanksgiving, when is 
your birthday ? " 

" The 30th of November." 

" Good ! They'll be here then. Well, you ask your 
father about your party, and about that other 
matter, will you ? " 

" Yes, I will, to-night. And he'll say yes to both." 



CHAPTER XVI 

BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

IT was a few days later that Mr. Fayre announced to 
his family the news that his transfer of locality had 
been postponed until after the Christmas holidays. 

" Perhaps you won't have to go at all, Father," 
said Trudy. 

" Perhaps not," agreed Mr. Fayre. " These mat- 
ters are uncertain. I should be glad not to leave 
Berwick, for I like my New York business, and my 
suburban home; but what is to be will be, whether 
it ever comes to pass or not." 

This was one of Mr. Fayre's favourite nonsense 
speeches and always made the girls laugh. Dolly 
laughed now, perhaps a little more than the occasion 
demanded, for she knew a small joke of her own. 

Dotty, too, controlled her smiles discreetly and as 
the subject was lightly passed over, no one suspected 
that the postponement was due to Dolly's endeavours. 

" Bernice Forbes is going to have a party," Dolly 
said, after a time. 

"Is she?" said Mrs. Fayre, interestedly. 
"When?" 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

" On the thirtieth. It's her birthday. I 'spect it 
will be a lovely party. Can I have a new frock, 
Mother?" 

" Why, I think so. You need one more new party 
dress this winter, and you may as well have it for that 
occasion." 

" I thought Bernice wasn't much liked by your 
crowd," said Trudy. 

" Well, she isn't a favourite," said Dolly, slowly, 
" but I think she's better liked than she used to be. 
Anyway, everybody'll be glad to go to her party." 

" Yes," said Trudy, " and then talk about her 
afterward! I think that's mean." 

" I do too," chimed in Dotty. " But Bernice is 
nicer than she used to be, more pleasant, you know. 
And maybe there won't be anything to say about her 
party, except nice things." 

" She'll probably have a brass band and supper 
from New York," laughed Trudy. 

" Well, I want you to be nice to her, Dolly," said 
Mr. Fayre. " Mr.. Forbes has been exceedingly kind 
to me of late, and if you can do anything for his 
motherless girl, you do it." 

" Yes, Dad," said Dolly, meekly, though her heart 
was singing for joy that she was already carrying 
out her father's wishes. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Why I thought Mr. Forbes was an awful strict, 
stern man," said Trudy. 

" He is," returned her father. " And he's a just 
and particular man, in his business relations, as, of 
course, he ought to be." 

" Couldn't you ask him, Father, not to let us go 
away from Berwick ? " suggested Dolly, timidly. 

" Gracious, no, child. I wouldn't dream of such a 
thing ! If he says go, I must go. But he spoke to- 
day as if the matter were still in abeyance " 

"In where?" 

" Never mind your geography, Dollums. You 
wouldn't find abeyance in any Christian country. I 
mean he spoke as if my going away is still uncer- 
tain." 

"Oh! Well, I'm glad of it. Every day here 
counts." 

Before Bernice's birthday party came off Dolly 
had much to do. And Dotty ably aided and abetted 
her plans. 

They lost no opportunity to hint to the girls and 
boys of Bernice's good traits. They even said to 
some, that she had been misunderstood and enlisted 
their sympathies for the new candidate for favours. 

Bernice herself tried hard to do her part. Natur- 
ally shy, hers was the disposition that takes quick 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

offence at a seeming slight, and supersensitive to such, 
she often felt like returning a haughty stare. But 
she remembered Dolly's instructions, and managed 
fairly well to control her quick temper, and overlook 
many things. 

A few days before the party Bob Rose and Bert 
Fayre came home from their school for the Thanks- 
giving vacation. 

Great rejoicing was in the two families at this 
event. Dotty had returned home, Genie being all well 
again, and Treasure House was the daily meeting 
place of the quartette. 

" My stars ! girls, but this is fine ! " declared Bert, 
as the Two D's showed off their possessions. 

" You bet it is ! " chimed in Bob, as he paraded 
round the House, taking in all its glories. 

It was the day of their return, they hadn't been in 
town ten minutes before they were rushed over to the 
wonderful Treasure House. 

" And catch onto the dinky kitchen business ! Can 
you cook, oh, Treasure ladies ? " 

" Some," said Dolly, smiling at the recollection of 
the feast that failed. 

" Pshaw ! We'll show you how. Say we begin 
now. What you got on hand? " 

" Oh, wait, Bert ! don't upset things ! " cried Dolly, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

in dismay, for her brother was ruthlessly rummaging 
in the cupboard for goodies. 

" Unhand me, villain ! " and Bert shook off Dolly's 
restraining hand. " I seek what I seek ! " and with 
a flourish he brought out a package of chocolate and 
the sugar bowl. " Fee fi fo fum, I smell the scent of 
Fudgerum. Go to it, Dollops 1 See how quick you 
can turn out a panful ! " Bert took out his watch as 
if to time her. " One, two three ! Go ! " 

Falling into the spirit of the thing, Dolly whisked 
out a sauce-pan and long-handled spoon, while twice 
as quickly, Dotty seized a knife and began to shave 
off the chocolate. Fudge was a thing they could 
make, with no chance of failure, so the two worked 
smoothly together, and in an incredibly short time, 
the delectable compound was cooling, to be cut into 
squares. 

" You're the right sort of sisters for a chap to 
have," said Bob, looking admiringly at the two smil- 
ing, flushed faces before him. 

" You're two pretty good brothers," Dotty flashed 
back, and Bert remarked. " Cut out the taffy, and 
look after the fudge." 

So they marked it off in squares and diamonds, and 
the impatient boys began on it at once. 

" Guess we'll bring home some chaps for the Christ- 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

mas Vake, hey, Bob ? " and Bert nodded at his chum. 

" That's a go. But not many, for this house has 
all the modern improvements, except size, it seems to 
me." 

" Oh, it holds quite a good many," Dolly said ; 
" we've had sixteen here at a time and it wasn't so 
awfully crowded." 

"All right. We'll bring Chalk and Cheese, eh, 
Bert? " 

" Yep. Give me another piece of fudge, Dollums." 

" You'll be very exceedingly ill," remarked Dolly, 
gravely, as she handed her brother the plate. " Now, 
see here, Bert, and you, too, Bob, I've got you sweet- 
ened up, I want to tell you something. To ask you 
something, rather." 

" Clever Dolly ! First fudge, then demands. 
Well, go ahead. To the half of my kingdom ! " 

" Now, listen, I'm serious. It's about Bernice 
Forbes." 

" No, you don't ! " and Bert grinned. " I know the 
fair Bernie ! None for this citizen, thank you ! 
What you want ? Me to take her to a party, I'll bet. 
Well, you lose ! See?" 

" Now, Bert, be quiet," and Dolly gave him a plead- 
ing glance. " Don't jump at things so. Be still a 
minute." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" All right," put in Bob. " Mj chum, at his sis- 
ter's request, will now be mum. But I'll take the 
floor. I hereby assent that Us Two, being for the 
moment in a position to grace the fair town of Ber- 
wick by our gracious presence, utterly decline to 
spoil our all too short stay in these parts, by so 
much as an allusion to the impossible Forbes dam- 
sel." 

" But you must listen," and Dolly looked so 
honestly distressed, that the boys woke up to the fact 
that she was serious. 

" Fire away, then," said Bert, " but cut it short. 
What's it all about? " 

"It's this," burst out Dotty, for Dolly couldn't 
seem to find the right words. " We're booming Ber- 
nice. And you two have got to help ! " 

" Help ! Help ! " cried Bert, faintly. Do I get 
you aright? " 

" You do ! " and Dotty wagged her black head, vig- 
orously. " You sure do ! Now, the situation is 
this " 

" Let me tell," said Dolly, who had recovered her 
nerve. " For reasons of my own, which I will not 
explain at present, but which affect you, Bert, as 
much as me, it is necessary that we make Bernice pop- 
ular" 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

" What ! " exploded Bob. " Bernice popular ! 
Oh, Jimmy Crickets ! that's a good one ! " 

" Yes, popular," repeated Dolly, severely. " And 
if it seems so difficult to you, then there will be all the 
more glory in accomplishing it. Now, don't stop 
to argue ; just realise that we're going to do it. Look 
on it as a stunt, to be wrastled somehow, and and 
chip in and help us. Are you wid us or agin us ? " 

Dolly was standing now, and flung out her arms like 
an importunate orator, pleading for the sympathies 
of his audience. A determined fire shone in her deep 
blue eyes, a determined smile curved her red lips, and 
as she paused for a reply, Bob shouted, " To the last 
ditch!" 

" Good for you ! " and Dolly thanked him with a 
beaming smile. " Now, Bert, of course you're in it, 
too. So here's the game. We four are to do all we 
can, in a clever and quiet way, to make Bernice 
Forbes' party a howling success, and " 

" Told you it was a party ! " growled Bert. 
" Hate parties ! " 

" No, you don't hate parties. You love 'em. And 
this party is next Tuesday, and if you two boys don't 
go in and win, for me you're no good ! " 

" What's it to you, Doll ? " asked her brother, de- 
tecting the earnest note in Dolly's voice. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" It means a lot, Bert," and Dolly's voice shook a 
little. " But never mind that now. You two just do 
as we girls " 

" Ours not to reason why," exclaimed Bob ; " ours 
but to do or die! and we'll do anything or anybody 
you say. Now, as to details, what is our special role 
at this party racket? " 

" Just this," said Dotty. " To push up Bernice's 
stock! Be awfully nice to her yourselves. Make 
the other boys be nice to her, too. See that she has a 
partner for every dance and a good time at every 
game, or whatever they have. Hover round her at 
supper time, and in general make her think she's It ! " 

" Well, Sweet Sister, what you say, goes ! But 
you've given us a pretty large order ! You know the 
lady, I take it?" 

" Yes, but you don't. At least, you don't know 
that she's a heap nicer than she used to be. Also, 
you don't know what a great big whopping reason 
there is for all this. If you did, you'd why, you'd 
fly over there at once, there'd be no holding you ! " 

" And can't we know ? " 

" Not just now," said Dolly, looking mysterious. 
" Some day, if you're good, I may tell you. Till 
then, you must work in the dark. Oh, you are good 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

boys ! I knew I could depend on you ! Have some 
more fudge." 

" Oh thank you so much ! Say, if we promise to 
do all and more than mortal can ask to further that 
crazy project of yours, can we drop the subject for 
now?" 

" Yes, but remember you've promised," and Dotty 
shook her finger at the two jolly boys, who were will- 
ing to please their sisters, but who took little interest 
in Bernice Forbes and her success. 

" Seems to me," observed Bob, as they returned to 
discussion of Treasure House, " that this is too good 
a piece of property for two simple girls ! Why, it's 
worthy of boy occupants. Want to rent it? " 

" No-sir-ee, Bob ! " laughed Dolly. " We've been 
weeks getting it into shape, and fixed just exactly as 
we want it, and we don't propose to have a lot of boys 
rampoosing all over it. You are invited to inspect it, 
and then I don't know as you'll be asked again." 

" Well, I like that ! Why, we supposed you'd give 
us the freedom of it while we're at home, at least." 

" Oh, we won't lock you out, except when we're 
studying," said Dotty. " But there won't be much 
studying while you're home, for it's our vacation too." 

Just then a rap sounded on the brass knocker of 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Treasure House, and Bob flung open the door to 
admit the three Rawlins and two Browns. 

" Hullo," cried Tad and Tod together ; *' when did 
you fellows get home? " 

" Just to-day," answered Bert, as they all said 
hullo to each other and then found seats for them- 
selves on chairs, window-boxes or floor. 

And then a general chattering broke loose. Every- 
body talked at once, and Bob and Bert were wel- 
comed back like long lost brothers. But soon the 
boys all had their heads together, telling of Clay- 
ton's wonderful new football, and the girls had 
grouped themselves on the other side of the room 
and were eagerly discussing Bernice's party. 

" We're going, now, Doll," shouted Bert. " Going 
over to Clayt's. All us fellows. Don't weep, ladies, 
but we must leave you now." 

" All right," said Dotty. " We can spare you. 
Of course, we just hate to have you go, but if you 
must " 

" Oh, we'll come back. But it's too great a day 
to stay inside. You girls had better go out for a 
run yourselves." 

" Maybe we will," said Dolly. " But wait a min- 
ute, boys. I want to ask you something. Won't 



BROTHERS AND FUDGE 

you each promise to dance twice with Bernice at her 
party?" 

" Goodness, gracious ! Bernice again ! " and Tod 
Brown pretended to fall in a faint. 

" Yes, again and yet and all the time ! " declared 
Dolly, laughing at Tod's ridiculous antics. " Now, 
own up, you know you can't go to her party and not 
dance with her " 

" Why go ? " demanded Clayton. 

" Of course you'll go ! Wild horses couldn't keep 
you away ! But as you're going, why not be decent 
about it, and do the really nice thing? If each of 
you will dance twice, and a few others once, she will 
have all the partners she wants." 

" Are you her press agent, Dolly ? What has 
come over you? " asked Tad. 

" Never you mind about that. You just do as I 
say." 

Now Tad was pretty apt to do as Dolly said, and 
so he bowed and scraped, saying, " What you say 
goes. Two is my number. Hey, fellows? " 

" Two it is ! " sung out Tod, and the rest voiced 
agreement. " Now can we go, mum ? " begged Tad. 

" Yes," said Dolly, " you're good boys, and you 
may run and play." 



" What are you up to, Dolly ? " asked Grace, as 
the boys ran off, laughing and jumping about. 

" Gracie, you know how much I want to make Ber- 
nice more popular. Well, this is my chance, and I 
want all you girls to help me. If we take her up and 
are nice to her, the boys will do as we tell them, and 
the other girls will fall in line, and it will be all right. 
But if we fall down on it, the whole plan will drop 
through. Do be on on my side, won't you, Grace? " 

Wily Dolly knew that Ethel would do whatever 
Grace did, and also that Maisie May would agree to 
whatever the Rawlinses agreed to. 

" Yes, I will," declared Grace. " I think we 
haven't been very nice to Bernice, and I'm ready to 
try to be friends with her, if she'll have it. But, 
Dolly, you know she isn't very easy to be nice to." 

" I know, Grace, but I think we'll find her better 
natured nowadays. Any way, let's be awful nice 
to her at her own party, and try to make it a grand 
success." 

" All right," said Grace, " I'll do all / can." 

" Me too," said Ethel, and then Dolly was satis- 
fied. 



CHAPTER XVII 

BOOMING BERNICE 

DOLLY hesitated about telling Bert of her plans. She 
wanted him to know the importance of the matter, 
and yet, she feared he would disapprove of the whole 
idea. So she put off telling him, and now the very 
day had arrived, and she had a feeling that he must 
know before he went to the party. 

Dolly was dressed early. She had on her new 
frock, and a dainty, pretty affair it was. Made of 
white net, it was frilled with many little outstanding 
ruffles, edged with blue silk. Tiny garlands of blue 
forget-me-nots headed the flounces, and edged the 
round neck of the bodice. Her golden curls were 
caught back by a pearl barrette and a delicate wreath 
of forget-me-nots encircled her head. Dotty's dress 
was just like Dolly's, with pink rosebuds in place of 
the blue flowers. 

Of course the quartette were to go together, but 
there was yet nearly half an hour before time to start. 
Dolly sat in her room, thinking it out, and at last de- 
cided to tell Bert. 

She went to his room, and found him deeply ab- 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

sorbed in tying his necktie. She sat down and waited, 
silently, being too wise to interrupt the engrossing 
performance. 

At last the bow was completed to the young man's 
satisfaction. 

" Hello, Dolls," he said, to her reflection in his 
mirror. " Here for criticism or commendation ? " 
and he looked leniently on the pretty new frock. 

" Neither. And we've only a few minutes, so, lis- 
ten, Bert, I want to tell you something." 

" Fire away," and the preoccupied boy looked over 
a pile of handkerchiefs. 

Dolly spoke quickly and to the point. She told 
him of her bargain with Bernice and all she hoped 
from it. 

"You see, I couldn't, I just couldn't leave Ber- 
wick and Dot, so I tried this plan, and I hope, oh, 
I most know it will succeed ! " 

" Dorinda Fayre, you're a hummer ! " was Bert's 
comment, and he sat down on the edge of his bed, and 
looked at his sister. " What do you s'pose dad 
would say if he knew? " 

" He mustn't know. But, it isn't wrong, is it? " 

" Why, no, I don't say it's wrong, exactly, but it's 
why, Doll, it's crazy ! That's what it is, crazy ! " 

" I don't care how crazy it is, if it works. Why, 



BOOMING BERNICE 

Bert, anybody can go to Buffalo as well as for us to 
go. And probably the other man wants to go, and 
father doesn't. And I don't, and Trudy doesn't " 

" Does Trudy know of your stroke of state? " 

" No, indeed. She'd tell, and dad and mother 
might put a stop to it. Now, Bert, you'll help me, 
won't you? " 

Dolly had the whip hand, and she knew it. Bert 
was very proud of his pretty sister, and as she smiled 
winsomely, in all the bravery of her party array, he 
hadn't the heart to refuse her. Moreover, though he 
was amazed at her daring project, it seemed to him 
possible, owing to Mr. Forbes' indulgence of his 
daughter's whims. 

" Why, of course, Dollops, I'll do whatever I 
can " 

" Oh, you dear old Bert ! I was so afraid you 
wouldn't ! You can do such heaps, you know ! Now, 
let's start, and you must just remember every minute 
at the party, that you're booming Bernice. Get the 
boys to show her attentions, but don't for goodness' 
sake, let them know what you're up to ! " 

" Dollydoodle ! Do you think I'm a ninny ! Don't 
tell me how to conduct this publicity campaign ! Give 
me credit for a grain of sense, and leave all to 
me!" 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Bert waved his hand with a lordly air, and Dolly 
felt a great weight lifted from her shoulders. If 
Bert took the initiative like that, he was sure to suc- 
ceed. 

" Does Bob know ? " he asked. 

" No, I don't want to tell Bob, if we can help it. 
Dotty promised not to tell anybody. Can't we man- 
age without letting any more know, than do know ? " 

" I s'pect so, Kiddy. Run along, and get your 
bonnet and shawl and let's get at this world-beating 
game." 

Dolly ran away for her wraps with a light heart. 
What a dear Bert was, to be sure ! 

Trudy helped her on with her pretty party cape, 
and adjusted a chiffon scarf over the curly head. 
Then she kissed her good-bye, and the brother and 
sister started forth. They stopped next door for 
the Roses, and all went to the Forbes house together. 

They were the first arrivals, which suited Dolly's 
plans. 

The house looked very beautiful, decorated as it 
was with flowers and palms. In the music room they 
could hear a harp and violin being tuned, and then 
Bernice herself came smiling, to greet them, arrayed 
in a stunning gown of gold-coloured crepe, embroid- 
ered with poppies. 



BOOMING BERNICE 

It was over elaborate for so young a girl, but it 
suited Bernice's dark hair and clear, olive skin. 

Mr. Forbes stood bj, pleasant and amiable, but 
with a natural stiffness of manner, which he found 
it hard to overcome. Mrs. Forbes had been dead 
for many years, and Bernice had had little, if any 
company, so that Mr. Forbes had drawn more and 
more into himself, and had become a sort of hermit. 
But this evening, he tried to be sociable, even jovial, 
and he succeeded fairly well. 

The two lived alone, save for a small army of 
servants. It was Mr. Forbes' theory that an Ameri- 
can girl is capable of looking after herself, and he 
desired no governess or companion for his daughter. 

So Bernice had grown up, with no other mentor 
than her own sweet will, for her father never inter- 
fered or advised in household matters. There was a 
housekeeper, but she merely ordered the kitchen de- 
partment, and had no supervision over Bernice. 

The party would have been far more elaborate, 
had Bernice had her own way. But Dolly, not want- 
ing her protegee to be criticised by the mothers of 
the Berwick young people, had persuaded her to keep 
it simpler in details than she wanted to. 

" What's the use of having plenty of money if you 
don't spend it? " Bernice had demanded. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

And Dolly had not attempted to answer her, but 
had merely reminded her that she had promised to 
do her part to reach their mutual goal, and that to 
abide by Dolly's decisions would favour their cause. 

So there were only three pieces of music instead 
of a full orchestra. Only a simple, though fine and 
bountiful supper, instead of the gorgeous repast Ber- 
nice would have preferred. And only a proper 
amount of floral decoration, instead of a city florist's 
extreme effort. 

But the house looked lovely, and the dining-room, 
as Dolly flew out to snatch a glance at it, was taste- 
fully arranged. 

"Awfully good of you, Mr. Forbes," said Dolly, 
smiling at the rather bewildered-looking man, " to 
let us have this pleasure." 

" Not at all, not at all," said the railroad mag- 
nate, rubbing his hands. " Might just as well have 
had more. More music, more people, more fal-lals. 
I said to Bernie, ' If you're doing it, why not do it 
up brown ? ' But she said " 

" She said, * This is brown,' " said Dolly, laughing. 
" And it is, Mr. Forbes. You know yourself, Ber- 
nie is too young for a real live ball, and that's what 
it would be, if she had it much more grand than this. 



BOOMING BERNICE 

How beautiful your house is," and Dolly looked 
around admiringly. 

" Glad you think so. Hasn't been re-decorated or 
fixed up since my wife died. Guess I'll have to fur- 
bish it up a little if Bernie is going to be in gay so- 
ciety." 

" She surely is. You can't keep such a pretty girl 
all to yourself always, Mr. Forbes." 

" No, I s'pose not I s'pose not. Well, I want 
her to enjoy herself. She's like her mother. Her 
mother was a great one for gaiety. Run along, now, 
Miss Dolly, and join your young friends. You 
mustn't be wasting time on an old man like me." 

Dolly smiled at him, and then went over to the 
group already forming around Bernice. 

But she had a new bee in her bonnet. Nothing 
more nor less than to make friends with Mr. Forbes 
himself, and if need be, plead with him for her father's 
stay in Berwick. Dolly's was a single-minded na- 
ture. She had set her heart and mind to this plan 
of hers and she bent everything toward her aim. 
Buoyed up with hope, she came laughingly toward the 
young people. 

" Ah, there, Dolly Fayre," sang out Tad Brown, 
" thought you had deserted us." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" No, indeed ! I'm helping Bernice receive, that's 
why I spend my time talking to her father," and 
Dolly laughed whimsically. 

Gay as a butterfly, she smiled and chatted with 
everybody, but also kept a strict watch over her 
helpers in the game. Nor was she disappointed. In 
a moment, she heard Bert and Bob both pleading 
with Bernice for the first dance. 

" You must give it to me," said Bert, " 'cause I'm 
Dolly's pet brother." 

" But I'm Dotty's ditto," urged Bob. " And be- 
sides, I'm a much better dancer than Bert Fayre." 

" Then give it to me out of charity," said Bert. 
" Have pity on a poor hobble-de-hoy ! " 

Unaccustomed to this flattering style of conversa- 
tion, Bernice blushed with pleasure, and grew co- 
quettish. 

" Maybe I won't give it to either of you," she 
smiled. " Maybe it's already engaged." 

" Oh, say not so ! " and Bert assumed a tragic 
pose. " But if it be, tell me the miscreant who dares 
aspire, and let me at him 1 " 

" Me too," chimed in Bob. " Oh, surely, certainly 
me, too ! Let us both at him ! " 

The boys were so ridiculous that Bernice burst into 
laughter, and Mr. Forbes drew nearer to see what it 



BOOMING BERNICE 

was all about. Others did too, and the result was 
that Bex-nice was the centre of a jolly group. 

She finally settled the matter by dividing the first 
dance and giving half to each of her suppliants. 

And each claimed two more dances later on; and 
others flocked around asking Bernice for her dance 
card, until very shortly, her card was filled, with 
several down for extras. 

Bernice was supremely happy. Only a girl who 
has been a wall-flower frequently, can appreciate the 
pleasure she felt in being besought for dances. 

Dolly was satisfied with the behaviour of her col- 
leagues. Not only the boys were doing their part 
nobly, but the girls were now and then chatting cor- 
dially with Bernice, and acting as if she were one of 
them. 

" All serene, Dolly ? " asked Bob, as he came up to 
claim one of his dances with her. 

" Yes, indeed," and Dolly's eyes shone. '* You're 
a trump, Bob ! I thank you a thousand bushels." 

" Oh, it isn't so hard. Bernie has improved a lot 
since last we met. She isn't nearly so pettish and 
stickery as she used to be. And she's mighty pretty, 
beside." 

" Yes, isn't she ! And that dress is stunning on 
her." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Rather grown-uppish, isn't it ? I like yours and 
Dot's better. But I'm not much on parties, anyhow. 
These dance affairs bore me stiff." 

" Why, I thought you liked them. A college boy 
ought to be crazy about dances." 

" Oh, I s'pose they're good enough, but I like bet- 
ter a rollicking picnic, or something outdoorsy." 

" Silly ! You can't have picnics in winter ! " 

" Well, you can have outdoor sports. There ought 
to be skating to-morrow, I think. It's getting aw- 
fully cold." 

" I wish there would be, I love to skate." 

" So do I. If there is any to-morrow, will you 
go?" 

" WiU I ! Well, I j ust guess I will ! " 

" But hold on. Say, Dolly, if we go skating, have 
we got to lug the Bernice person along ? " 

" Bob, I'm ashamed of you ! Just when I think 
I've got you well trained, you act up like that ! Why, 
of course we have. She's my chum ; and what you do 
for her, you do for me." 

"Oh, jiminetty! I do hate outsiders. You and 
Dot and Bert and Yours Truly make such a jolly 
four. Why drag in others ? " 

" Got to be done. Now, don't whine over it, just 
make up your mind to it. Let's make a skating partv 



BOOMING BERNICE 

for to-morrow afternoon, of about eight, and then 
afterward go back to Treasure House and make fudge 
or something like that." 

" All right on the fudge. But instead of eight, 
say four." 

" No, sir ! Eight it is, and I'll do the inviting ! " 

Dolly had found out that Bob's bark was worse 
than his bite. He might growl at the things she 
asked him to do, but he did them and did them well. 
As for Bert, he was putting things through with a 
dash. He not only danced with Bernice, but he 
sought her out between dances, and joked and 
laughed as he passed her on the dancing floor, and 
many times brought her to the attention of others in 
a way to win admiration for her. 

At supper time the " crowd " got together in a 
corner of the big dining-room. 

" What a table ! " exclaimed Tod Brown. * Oh, 
what a feast for the gods ! " 

" Make believe we're little tin gods, and get us 
some of it," suggested Bert, who was seated by Ber- 
nice. " I daren't leave my seat. It might be 
snatched by a less worthy occupant. You do 
the foraging act, Tad, and get some little help- 
ers." 

There were waiters, but the " crowd " often 



TWO LITTLE' WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

thought it preferable to have some of their " own 
boys " secure viands for them. 

So Tad and Clayton Rawlins and Lollie and Joe 
started, and soon returned with what Joe called " the 
pick of the lot." 

" What gorgeous foods ! " cried Dolly. " And 
I'm starving with hunger." 

" So'm I," declared Grace. " May I have a tiny 
sandwich ? " 

" A tiny sandwich doesn't seem to match Grace 
Rawlins ! " chaffed Joe. " Here's a plateful, my 
girl!" 

" None too many," said Grace, good-naturedly. 
"Have some of mine, Bernice?" 

Almost beside herself with joy at being really in 
the crowd, Bernice smiled and joked with the rest, 
and in their hearts most of them decided she " wasn't 
half-bad after all." 

Celia Ferris was not so willing as the others to 
accept Bernice as one of them, and she stood a little 
aloof. 

" I must go for Celia," thought Dolly, as she 
looked the group over, and found most of them act- 
ing in accordance with her orders. 

So finding opportunity, she said to Celia, " Ber- 
nice makes a good hostess, doesn't she? " 



BOOMING BERNICE 

" Good nothing ! " exclaimed Celia, in a whisper. 
" What's the matter with everybody to rave over her, 
all of a sudden? " 

" Well, I think she's worth raving over,'' Dolly 
defended. "Don't you?" 

" 'Deed I don't ! And I, for one, won't toady to 
her just 'cause she's rich and lives in a big house " 

" Oh, Celia," and Dolly laughed outright ; " how 
ridiculous! Do you s'pose, for a minute, that Bert 
and Bob are nice to Bernice for any such reasons? 
You know better ! " 

" I don't know as they are, but you and Dotty 
Rose are." 

" No, we're not. I like Bernice for far other rea- 
sons than that. And you'd better, too, unless you 
want to be in the minority." 

And with this, Dolly turned on her heel and left 
the astonished Celia with something to think about. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

THE day after Bernice's party everybody went skat- 
ing. A lake on the outskirts of Berwick obligingly 
froze itself over with a sufficient thickness of ice to 
be entirely safe. So the whole of the younger popu- 
lation put itself on runners. 

The Fayres and Roses arrived early in the after- 
noon. Encased in warm sweaters and knit caps, they 
braved the cold, and were soon swaying along the 
glassy surface. 

Dolly and Dotty had decided not to call it a skat- 
ing party, but after they tired of the ice, to ask 
half a dozen or so to go back with them to Treasure 
House. 

Later Bernice came, alone. She wore a new skat- 
ing suit of green cloth, fur-trimmed, and a jaunty 
green cap with a red feather. 

" There's Bernice," said Dolly quickly to Bert. 
" You must go and skate with her." 

" Won't do it. I did my duty last night, and I'm 
tired of the game. Get somebody else." Bert 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

laughed good-naturedly, and skated off with Maisie 
May, who had not heard the colloquy of the brother 
and sister. 

Now Bernice, by reason of her good time the night 
before, seemed to take it for granted that her star 
was in the ascendant. " Here I am ! " she cried, 
gaity. " Who bids for the honour of the first skate 
with me ? " 

She couldn't have chosen a worse speech. It was 
full of arrogance, and her condescending smile as she 
swung her skates in her hand, did not attract the 
boys who were present. 

" Come on, Dotty," said Joe Collins, " let's skate 
off. I don't want any Forbes in mine this after- 
noon." 

Dotty hesitated, for she had promised Dolly to 
help her, but Joe urged her away and the two skated 
off. 

Dolly went straight to Bernice, and said in a low 
tone : " Don't talk that way, Bernie ! You scare 
them all off. They won't stand your putting on 
airs." 

" Airs, nothing ! " cried Bernice. " Don't tell me 
how to behave, Dolly Fayrel Hello, there, Tad 
Brown. Put on my skates for me, won't you ? " 

Thus summoned, Tad had to obey, and after the 



TWO LITTLE- WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

skates were adjusted, Bernice said, " Now, for a 
glide," and perforce Tad skated with her. But he 
made a grimace over his shoulder at Dolly, and Ber- 
nice saw it. 

" I won't go with you, you rude thing ! " she ex- 
claimed. " I saw you wink at Dolly Fayre ! " 

"Well," Tad exclaimed, "haven't I a right to 
wink if I want to ? " 

" But I know what you meant, you meant you 
didn't want to skate with me. Come, now, didn't 
you?" 

" If I did, I wouldn't tell you so," said Tad, half- 
laughing at Bernice's angry face. And this so en- 
raged her, that she turned and left him, and skated 
off alone. 

Dolly was in despair. Was all her plan to fall 
through because Bernice herself couldn't make good? 

"What matter, Dollsie? " said Lollie Henry, just 
arriving, and seeing the woebegone face. 

" Oh, Lollie, you're my friend ! Do help me out ! 
Please go and skate with Bernice, and be awfully nice 
to her, no matter what she says. Won't you, Lollie, 
please ? " 

" Sure ! " said Lollie, looking into the pleading 
blue eyes. " What you say, goes. Me to the Ber- 
nie!" 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

He skated after Bernice, overtook her, and hold- 
ing out his hands said, " You're a dandy skater, 
catch on ! " 

Gladly Bernice joined hands, and in a moment they 
were gaily skating among the others. Dolly, de- 
lighted at the sight, looked about for somebody to 
skate with, herself. 

A laughing face peeped from behind a tree, and 
Reggie Stuart came cautiously forth. " Hid from 
the other one," he explained. " Thought you'd 
never get her fixed up. Why are you in charge of 
her goings and comings, Dolly ? " 

" 'Cause I want to be. Now, you be good, Reg. 
If you're my friend, you've got to be Bernice's, too. 
Come on, let's skate. I'm bothered in my head and 
perhaps it will tangle up my feet, but we'll try." 

It didn't ; on the contrary, the delightful exercise 
soothed Dolly's wrought-up nerves, and with every 
stroke she became more her own gay, merry self. 

" Look out for yourself ! " she cried, as Reggie 
nearly tripped over a chunk of ice. 

" Yes, I am a tangle-footed jay! Always getting 
in the way ! " , 

" Nonsense ! You're a fine skater ! Let's catch 
up to Dot and Joe." 

As the afternoon wore on, Dolly saw several times 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

that Bernice was standing alone and neglected. Sev- 
eral of the boys, at Dolly's insistence, or at Dotty's 
request, had skated with her, but only for short ex- 
cursions, and somehow all the popularity that Ber- 
nice had enjoyed the night before seemed to be fading 
away. 

" Oh, dear," Dolly sighed to herself, " I'm going 
to fail, after all. Last night, it was at her house, 
so the boys and girls had to be decent, but they 
won't keep it up, and it's all Bernie's fault. I've 
done all I can. But I won't give up! I can't! I 
must succeed! " 

In desperation she flew over to Bob Rose. 

" Bob, please, for my sake, do go and skate with 
Bernice ! " 

" Good gracious, Dolly ! Why this heart-rending 
plea? I'll do it, if I must, but I'd a lot rather skate 
with you. She's so so dressy, you see." 

" Never mind, just go! And stay, and keep on 
skating with her till somebody else asks her." 

" Whew ! That'll be till well, off I go ! " 

Off Bob went, and was so pleasantly polite and 
courteous that Bernice had no suspicion that he had 
been asked to come. 

" Hello," he said, cordially. " May I have the 
honour of a glide with the girl in green ? " 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

Bernice smiled, and consented gladly. She was a 
good skater, and they glided evenly along. 

" Great little old lake, isn't it ? " said Bob, as they 
flew on. " We haven't such a good skating place at 
school. Only a skinny little river, that hardly ever 
freezes solid." 

But before Bernice could respond, they heard 
Bob's name called by a loud voice on shore, and look- 
ing back, they saw Mr. Rose in his motor-car, beckon- 
ing to Bob. 

" 'Scuse me just a minute," said the boy and ran to 
see what his father wanted. 

" Awfully sorry," he said as he returned, " but 
I've got to go off with Dad. It's a special matter, 
or I wouldn't leave you. We must have another 
skate together, before I go back." 

With a wave of his cap, Bob ran off to join his 
father, and Bernice was alone again. Again Dolly 
came to the rescue. 

This time she went for Bert, who was skating with 
Dotty. 

" Bert Fayre," she began, " you go straight and 
skate with Bernie, and you make her have a good 
time, and don't let her know I sent you. Go right 
off, and don't muff it! Do it up right. I'm about 
all in, and this game is going to be too much for 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

me, unless somebody helps me and helps me right. 
Go on, now, and Dot and I will skate together." 

Impressed by Dolly's tense voice and harassed face, 
Bert obeyed. 

"All right, little sister," he said. "Trust big 
buddie to do it up to the queen's taste. Tra-la-la ! " 
with a flourishing bow. Bert left the two girls and 
skated over to where Bernice stood, looking pettish 
and sulky. 

" Ah, there, Diana," greeted Bert ; " been waiting 
for a chance at you. What did you do with Bob? " 

" His father came/ and he had to go away." 

" Good boy to obey his daddy, and thereby let me 
have his place. Come for a whirl ? " 

" Do you want me to ? " and Bernice looked co- 
quettish. 

" Sure ! Been living all my life for this moment ! 
Wow ! You're a peach of a skater ! All crosspatch 
girls are." 

" What ! " and Bernice stopped short, thinking she 
could not have heard aright. 

" You heard me," said Bert, carelessly. " Why ? 
Didn't you know you're crosspatch? It's written in 
every line of your expressive face." 

Bert was laughing so pleasantly, that Bernice was 




'I know all about your bargain with my sister' 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

bewildered. Did he mean what he was saying? Was 
it a joke? Or what was the explanation? 

" Needn't get huffy," Bert went on. " I s'pose 
you can't help it. Pity, too, such a nice girl spoiled 
by bad temper! Well, I don't mind; I like cross- 
patches myself." 

" I think you're very rude ! " and Bernice tried to 
draw her hand from his. " I don't want to skate 
with you." 

" Oh, yes, you do, too. I'm one of the nicest boys 
here. And you've no reason to get mad. I'm only 
telling you the truth. And of course you want to 
be cross, or you wouldn't be so." 

" I'm not cross ! " 

" Oh, no! No ! You're our little ray o' sun- 
shine ! Oh, yes! " 

As a matter of fact, Bernice was in a towering 
rage. She had never before been spoken to like this, 
and she didn't know what to make of it. But it was 
difficult to be angry at a boy who grinned in a most 
friendly manner, even while he said such impertinent 
things. 

" Now, look here, Bernice Forbes," Bert went on, 
as they skated smoothly along, " I know all about 
your bargain with my sister. I think it's a crazy 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

idea, but all the same, I think it's a fair deal. And 
I want to help. But Dolly doesn't need help, she 
can do all she has set out to do. So, I want to help 
you. Mayn't I?" 

Bert's frank, boyish face was very wheedlesome, 
and as he smiled at Bernice, she saw he was in earnest 
and in a kindly, whole-souled way meant just what 
he said. 

** I think you're the strangest boy I ever saw ! " 
she exclaimed. 

" All right, let it go at that. But let's have this 
thing out. Are you willing to let me help you ? " 

"Help me what?" 

" Don't let's pretend. You know what I mean, or, 
if you want it in plain English, help you to be 
one of the most popular girls in Berwick, which is 
what you ought to be, and can be as well as not." 

" No, I can't. I've tried " 

" Excuse me, you haven't tried. At least, not in 
the right way." 

" What is the right way? " 

" Ah, you ask that. Then, you are willing to let 
me help you ? " 

" Of course I am, if you can do it." 

" Then, first of all, you must remove that chip 
from your shoulder." 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

Bert spoke so earnestly, that Bernice involuntarily 
glanced at her shoulder. 

" Yes, it's there," said Bert gravely. " You see, 
Bernie, you think the world owes you a living, and 
the world is not sure that it does. So you've got 
to earn that living." 

" Earn my own living ! Why, my father " 

" Oh, can't you understand parables ? I mean, 
you think Berwick owes you a liking, then, and really, 
you've got to make Berwick like you. Berwick, in 
this case, meaning the dozen or so boys and girls of 
our set." 

" Well, then, if you know so much, how am I to 
make them ? " 

" First, as I said, dislodge that very large and 
elegant chip that adorns your shoulder, meaning, 
don't feel grouchy toward people because they don't 
run and fall on your neck as you approach." 

"Why, Bert Fayre, you're awful!" 

" 'Course I'm awful, but I've simply got to put it 
to you straight. I know what Dolly's after, and I 
know you can give it to her, and yet, it will all be of no 
use if you don't play up yourself. You will, Bernice, 
won't you ? " 

" Yes, I will. But I don't know how." 

" Yes, you do know how, only you find it hard. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

All you have to do to make people like you and want 
to be with you, is to like them and be nice to them. 
You can't just sit around accepting, you must 
give." 

"Give what?" 

" Smiles, kindliness, gaiety, fun, nonsense, real true 
understanding, and all the things that go to make a 
tiptop girl." 

"Like Dolly?" 

" Yes, like my sister, and Dot Rose and Maisie 
May, and the Rawlins girls " 

" Everybody except me ! " 

" Well, if you see it that way, then act so you'll 
put yourself in the bunch." 

" I'm going to try, Bert. You've given me a new 
idea." 

" I know ; you thought Dolly could do it all, and 
you just sit back and take favours as they drop in 
your lap. Well, probably you can do that some 
day, but first, you've got to make good. See ? " 

Bernice had only a chance for an answering smile, 
when Dolly called to them to come on, as they were 
going home. 

Bert and Bernice turned back, and joined the oth- 
ers, took off their skates and started homeward. 
The crowd separated to take their various ways, and 



BERT AND THE BARGAIN 

the two D's asked a few to go .to Treasure House 
with them for a fudge feast. 

" Better come," said Bert to Bernice. " The girls 
make ripping fudge." 

And very gladly Bernice went along. Dolly had 
not meant to ask her, for she was wearied with her 
afternoon's efforts and a little discouraged. 

But she seconded Bert's invitation, and with the 
two Browns and Lollie, they all went to Treasure 
House. 

The boys built up a roaring log fire while the girls 
went to the kitchenette to make the cherished fudge. 

" Let me help," said Bernice in such a gay, sun- 
shiny voice that Dotty looked up in surprise. 

"All right, Bernie," she said, meeting her half 
way. " You shave off this chocolate, and Doll and 
I will fix the other ingrejunts." 

All three worked with a will, and in the shortest 
possible time consistent with good fudge, the candy 
was ready. 

" Sim-pul-ly delicious ! " exclaimed Lollie, rolling 
his eyes up. " Who made it? " 

" All of us," said Bernice, " but mostly Dolly and 
Dotty. I only helped." 

" It's the help part that tastes so good, then," 
and Bert smiled at her, with a knowing nod. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

This delighted Bernice, and expanding under the 
warmth of Bert's approval, she tried her best to be 
entertaining, and in gayest mood she chaffed and 
joked until she was really the centre of attraction. 

" Must go home now," she said, at last. " I just 
hate to leave, but Dad gets home at six, and he al- 
ways wants to see his little girl there waiting for 
him." 

" Good-bye, Bernie, if you must go," said Dotty, 
and then all were surprised to hear Bert say, " I'll 
walk around with you, it's sort of dusk." 

" Thank you," said Bernice in the nicest kind of 
way, and they started off. 

" Well," said Dolly, as the other boys had gone 
too, " Bert is an old trump, after all. Bob was, 
too, only he was called off just at the wrong time." 

" He'll do his part yet," and Dotty wagged her 
head assuredly ; " I'll make him ! " 

" Do, Dot," said Dolly. 



CHAPTER XIX 

THE ELECTION 

IT cannot be denied that Dolly had a hard task be- 
fore her in what she had undertaken. When Bert 
and Bob went back to school, she lost two very 
efficient helpers, and her own efforts seemed to be 
unavailing. Dotty was willing enough to help, but 
she was so quick-tempered herself, she could do little 
for or with Bernice. 

And Bernice, herself, was most aggravating. Just 
as Dolly would get the girls and boys ready to do 
something nice for her, Bernice would break out in 
a pettish mood, or pick some silly quarrel, that in- 
terfered with all plans. 

" There's just this about it," Dolly said to Dotty, 
one afternoon, as they sat in Treasure House, talk- 
ing it over, " we've got to do something desperate 
to boom Bernie, or I've got to give it all up, and then 
she won't ask her father to let us stay, and we'll ha 
to go away from Berwick." 

The tears flooded her blue eyes, and rolled down 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

her cheeks. Dotty, overcome by the thought, burst 
into violent weeping. 

" You shan't go, Dollyrinda ! I won't let you ! I 
can't spare you ! " 

" But that's nonsense, Dot. We've got to go, if 
my plan falls through. And it has about fallen." 

" You said you'd speak to Mr. Forbes, himself." 

" I know, but I can't do that. I've thought it 
out, and I believe that would be wrong, because I 
know Dad wouldn't like me to do it. But to bar- 
gain with Bernice is different. Just two girls, you 
know." 

"Well, let's try some new plan. I'll tell you, 
Doll, let's make her Class President. We vote next 
week, you know. We'll electioneer, or whatever 
you call it, and make the whole class vote for 
her." 

" Yes ! Make the whole class vote for her ! I 
think I see them doing that ! " 

" Well, we can get a majority, anyway. You and 
I can coax or bribe lots of the girls, and Tod and 
Tad will help round up the boys on our side." 

"Well," and Dolly brightened a little, "maybe 
we could do that. Bernie is so uncertain, lately. 
One day she's as sweet as pie, and then she's queer as 
a spidereen ! Celia won't vote for her, I know that." 



THE ELECTION 

" I bet I can make Celia vote for her. I know a 
way ! " and Dotty wagged her head wisely. 

Dolly was too busy thinking to ask what the way 
was. " You see," she went on, " we mustn't let Ber- 
nice know we're getting votes for her, or she'll get 
mad." 

" No, she needn't know it, but we ought to get 
right at it, Doll." 

" Yes ; let's go to see the Rawlins now." 

It was uphill work from the beginning. The two 
D's canvassed the whole class, and found the tide of 
prejudice strongly against Bernice for President. 
This was no more than they had expected, and they 
set bravely to work to induce individual members to 
change their minds. 

Moreover the Brown boys declined to help. They 
were good chums of the two D's, and they rather 
liked Bernice, at times, but they didn't want her for 
Class President. They were nice about it, but very 
decided. 

So Lollie Henry was the only boy whom they could 
depend on for assistance. But he was willing to do 
anything, and expressed an intention of punching 
the heads of the fellows who refused to do as he ad- 
vised them. 



" Oh, don't do that, Lollie," said Dolly, laughing 
to think what means were being proposed to aid her 
to gain her point. " Never mind using such strong 
measures, just persuade them by argument." 

" You don't know the fellows as I do, Dolly. They 
won't listen to argument, and you just have to punch 
them. But I'll do it gently, if you say so." 

" Bribe them," advised Dotty. " I got Minnie 
Dorlon over by giving her my fountain pen." 

" Bribery and corruption ! " exclaimed Lollie. 
" That is much worse then punching heads ! " 

" Oh, all ways are all right, if they work," Dolly 
declared. " The little bribes we offer won't hurt 
anybody. I'm going to get Celia Ferris's vote by 
means of my portfolio." 

" Dotty ! " cried Dolly, " your new leather port- 
folio?" 

" Yep. Celia is just daffy over it, and says she'll 
vote for Bernice if I give her that, and on no other 
condition. Oh, I don't mind. And it's no harm to 
bribe in a little election like this. If the girls want 
these things, they might as well have 'em, and then 
we get their votes." 

" Not a bad idea," said Lollie, musingly. " I bet 
Jim Lee would vote for anybody, if I gave him my 
last year's skates. And I don't want them." 
-C244O- 



THE ELECTION 

"That's it," said Dotty. "Try every means, 
Lollie, and then we must get the election." 

Bernice knew that she was a candidate for the 
Presidency, but she did not know how Dolly and 
Dotty were working for her election. She remarked 
to Dolly, that if she should be made President of the 
class she should consider it a mark of popularity 
more than almost anything else. 

"And you'll remember our bargain," said Dolly, 
eagerly. 

" Yes, I will. If I'm President, it'll be because the 
class likes me, of course, and I'm quite ready to ad- 
mit that I owe that liking in great part to you." 

" And you'll do what you promised? " 

" Of course I will. I can easily make father ar- 
range for your father to stay here. I sounded him, 
and I found out he'll do it if I say so." 

" Oh, Bernice, then I think you might do it, whether 
you get elected or not! For I've done everything 
I could for you, and I can't help the result." 

" No," and Bernice shut her lips tightly together ; 
" I won't speak to father about it at all, if I'm not 
made President. A bargain is a bargain." 

So Dolly redoubled her efforts. But the trouble 
was, the opposing candidate was a favourite of all, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Molly Mooney, a girl who lived over on the other 
side of town, was not in the Two D's set, but she was 
a merry, good-natured girl, whom everybody liked. 
And so, many of the class declared their intention of 
voting for Molly Mooney, and couldn't be persuaded 
to alter their decision. 

It was a very trying situation, for Dolly couldn't 
explain why she was so desperately anxious to have 
Bernice elected ; and many of her best friends laugh- 
ingly refused to listen when she urged them to vote 
on her side. 

The contest promised to be a close one. Up to 
the very day of the election, Dolly and Dotty never 
ceased trying to turn the tide in their favour. 

The two girls felt sure they would win, but Lollie 
said he was doubtful. He had persuaded Joe Collins 
to help him in his electioneering, and Joe was doing 
it for the fun of the thing. 

" I don't care a red cent," Joe said, " who is Presi- 
dent. It's only a figurehead position anyway, when 
a girl holds it. The Committee decides everything. 
But if you two girls want Bernice so terribly, why 
I'll help all I can. She is in our set, and Molly 
Mooney isn't. Though Molly is an awful nice girl." 

So Joe hustled around, and announced the day of 
the election, that he had secured two more votes that 



THE ELECTION 

morning. " But some are backing out," he added. 
" The fellows promise, and they go back on their 
word. Awful mean, but they do, all the same. Now, 
Hy Landon, he told me yesterday he'd vote for Ber- 
nice, and to-day he told Lollie he didn't intend to at 
all ! So you can't tell." 

The election was to take place directly after school 
was out in the afternoon. All day, Dolly and Dotty 
were in a state of nervous excitement. Usually most 
exemplary of conduct in school hours, this day found 
them writing notes and whispering in the class rooms, 
and so preoccupied were they with the one idea, that 
each missed a lesson. 

" But," poor Dolly thought to herself, " it doesn't 
matter if I do miss my lessons, if I've got to move 
away from Berwick ! " and then the tears would force 
themselves to her eyes, and she had to dab furtively 
with her handkerchief. 

After school, the two candidates went home. It 
was not the custom for them to stay to the election. 

Molly Mooney went off, laughing, and calling back 
to her friends to stand by her, and elect her. 

Bernice, on the other hand, walked off without a 
word; her head tossing haughtily, as if she had no 
concern in the matter. 

" The worst thing she could do ! " fumed Dotty. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" The ones ' on the fence ' will be put out at her man- 
ner, and will vote for Molly ! " 

Some other business was transacted and then the 
election began. 

Even at the last minute a note was thrust into 
Dotty's hand. It was from Tod Brown and it 
said: 

"If I vote for Bernice, will you give me all the 
dances at the High School Christmas Dance? " 

" How perfectly ridiculous ! " exclaimed Dotty to 
herself. And looking over at Tod, she said a noise- 
less but unmistakable " No ! " 

" All right," Tod signalled back, " then I vote for 
Molly." 

" Oh, goodness ! " thought the distracted Dotty, 
" what shall I do ? It would be idiotic to dance every 
dance with him, and yet if it means the casting 
vote " 

She hastily scribbled a note which said, " I'll give 
you half." 

"Honest?" asked Tod, from across the room. 
" Cross your heart? " 

Hastily Dotty " crossed her heart " and Tod sig- 
nified assent to voting for her candidate. 

" For," Dotty reasoned, " if Bernice isn't elected 
and Dolly goes away, I shan't go to the dance. And 



THE ELECTION 

if Dolly stays, I'll be so glad I won't care who I dance 
with ! " 

The votes were taken and the tellers went into 
another room to count up. 

Breathlessly the Two D's awaited the result. It 
seemed as if the word would never come. At last, the 
door opened and the tellers came back. As soon as 
she saw their jubilant faces, Dolly knew her doom. 
They all wanted Molly, and it must be that Molly 
was elected judging from their smiling looks. 

And sure enough, the result, as stated, was that 
Molly Mooney was elected Class President by a ma- 
jority of three. 

" How awfully close ! " said everybody, and there 
was general rejoicing, for many of those who had 
promised to vote for Bernice and who did vote for 
her, really preferred Molly. 

Dolly said no word, but went to the cloakroom for 
her wraps. Dotty followed and two more gloomy, 
sad little countenances you never saw. They started 
homeward, alone, for they had hastened out before 
the others who went their way. 

" Where you going? " said Dotty, as Dolly turned 
a corner. 

" To see Bernice. I told her I'd come and tell her 
the result." 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Want me to go with you ? " 

" Yes, of course. Oh, Dot, she'll be awful mad." 

" I know it, but we did our best." 

" That doesn't matter. She'll be mad at me, all 
the same." 

And Bernice was. When the girls told her that 
Molly was Class President, she turned on Dolly like 
a little termagant. " I knew you couldn't run that 
thing, Dolly Fayre! You think yourself so smart, 
bossing everybody around, but you couldn't do just 
that one little thing!" 

" Don't you talk like that, Bernice," said Dotty, 
herself quite as angry. " Dolly worked like every- 
thing, and so did I. If you aren't the most popular 
girl in the class, we can't help it ! " 

" I know you can't," said Bernice, dully, " but 
Dolly said she could. That's what makes me mad ; 
she said she'd accomplish something and she didn't 
do it." 

"No, I didn't, Bernice," admitted Dolly, "and 
I'm sorry. I suppose now you won't ask your 
father " 

" Of course I won't ! A bargain is a bargain. I 
said if I won the election, didn't I ? " 

" Yes, you did." 

" Well, I didn't win it, did I? " 



THE ELECTION 

No." 

" Then that's all there is about it, / think." 

" And you're not going to ask your father " 

" I'm not going to ask my father anything. You 
haven't done what you said you would, for me, and 
I'm not bound to do anything for you ! " 

" All right, Bernice, good-bye," and Dolly got up 
and left the room and went out of the house. 

She was so blinded by her irrepressible tears, that 
she didn't notice that Dotty wasn't with her. She 
stumbled home, and going to her room, she flung her- 
self on her bed and had her cry out. 

Then she got up, bathed her eyes, and sat down to 
think it over. But there seemed to be nothing more 
to think of. She had tried her best and had failed. 
There was no other way to try, and no hope for re- 
maining in Berwick now. To be sure she had said 
she would appeal to Mr. Forbes for her father's re- 
tention in his present position, but that plan didn't 
seem right, and she abandoned it. 

Meantime, Dotty had stayed behind with Bernice. 

" You can do anything you please," Dotty said, 
her eyes blazing with anger, " but I'm going to tell 
you what I think of you ! The idea of letting Dolly 
Fayre do all she has done for you and then refusing 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

to use your influence with jour father for her just be- 
cause you lost the election I You ought to be 
ashamed of yourself ! " 

" It isn't only that, but Dolly said she would make 
me one of the most popular girls in town and she 
hasn't done it. A bargain is a " 

" Don't say that over again ! You make me so 
mad. I know a bargain is a bargain, but of course 
all Dolly could do, was to try to make you popular, 
and she has done that. If she couldn't succeed, it's 
your fault, not hers ! " 

" But I've tried too, Dotty." 

At this speech muttered in an humble voice, Dotty 
looked up in astonishment. Had she struck a right 
chord at last? 

" Have you, Bernie ? " she said gently. " Perhaps 
if we all tried again, we might yet win out. Not the 
presidency, that's settled, but there are other sorts of 
popularity." 

" I know. I don't care so much about the election, 
but it shows that nobody likes me." 

" No, it doesn't. It shows that you're very nearly 
as popular as Molly Mooney. For there was only a 
majority of three." 

"Only three! Why, you didn't tell me that! 
Why, Dotty, if that's all the difference there was in 



THE ELECTION 

the count, it's almost as good as being elected ! Only 
three! " 

" Yes, that's all. I didn't know you'd care what 
the count was, if you didn't win." 

" Why, of course I care ! Don't you see that to 
come as close as that, shows that lots of them did 
want me ? " 

Dotty knew it didn't show quite this, but still it was 
an indication of willingness to have Bernice, no matter 
for what reason. She followed up the advantage. 
" Then Bernice, if you realise that, don't you see that 
next time it might be a winning vote for you? " 

" Yes, it encourages me to keep on trying. Oh, 
Dotty, I have tried, tried, I mean, to be so nice 
and gay and pleasant that they would like me." 

" I believe you have, Bernice. And I want you to 
promise me to keep on trying. Now, see here, give 
Dolly and me another chance. You bargained with 
her that she should have till the first of January to 
keep her part of the bargain. Now, here you're 
turning her down in the middle of December ! " 

" That's so. That isn't fair." 

" No, it isn't. And you're always fair. Will you 
stick to your own bargain, and give her till the first of 
the New Year? " 

" Of course I will. You tell her so. And, say, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

Dotty, I do want to do this thing right, you know. 
I want to be liked for myself, not because Dolly's 
booming me. Don't you think I can ? " 

" Of course you can, Bernie. You've only to be 
your own self, your nicest self, you know, and 
not give way to those stuck-up airs you used to show 
so much. Just be affable and willing to chum, and 
people will like you fast enough. Now, I must run. 
I want to tell Dolly what you've said, before she 
cries her eyes out. Good-bye, and thank you lots for 
this little talk, we'll have another some day soon." 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

" FATHER," said Bernice Forbes as the two sat at 
dinner that night, " are you a popular map? " 

" Bless my soul, Bernie ! What do you mean? " 

" Just that, Dad. Are you popular among your 
friends and business associates?" 

" Well, that's a leading question, my girl ; and I'm 
not sure I want to answer it. For, to tell the truth, 
Daughter, I'm not so very popular, as popularity 
goes." 

"Why aren't you?" and Bernice looked serious. 

" Why are you asking? " 

" For a good reason, Daddy. Please tell me." 

" Well, then, Bernie, I'm not popular because I'm 
not willing to forget myself. To be honest, I'm a 
man of decided opinions, among others, a pretty 
good opinion of myself, and that sort of a nature 
doesn't command admiration from the crowd." 

"Don't you care, Father? " 

" Not much. I feel sometimes as if I'd like to be 
more chummy with my men friends ; then I'm apt to 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

say something to provoke them, and they rather 
evade me." 

" Dad, that's just my case. But I do want to be 
popular. In school I mean, and with the boys and 
girls. I've never been a favourite." 

" No ? Well, you can be, easily enough, if you 
choose." 

"How?" 

" Simply by being agreeable always. And by 
agreeable, I don't mean plausibly polite, I mean ac- 
tually to agree with people. With what they say 
and what they do." 

" Whether I mean it, or not ! " 

" Pshaw ! I don't want you to tell falsehoods, of 
course. But if some one says, * I just adore sun- 
flowers, don't you ? ' and you hate them, you needn't 
say, * No, I detest the horrid things ! " but you can 
say, ' They're such a brilliant yellow,' or * They do 
grow very tall,' or something generally acquiescent, 
instead of flatly disagreeing. Do you see ? " 

" Some. And if anybody raves over a girl that I 
dislike, I suppose I can keep my mouth shut." 

" More than that. You can surely find something 
nice to say about the girl, even if you dislike other 
traits she has." 

" Yes, I s'pose I could. And if the girls do things 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

that I can't abide, I s'pect I can at least refrain from 
criticism." 

" But that isn't enough, Bernie. You must seem 
to like them, unless, of course, it's something really 
wrong. But if it's only a habit or a mannerism or 
a fashion, smile at it, and agree, even if your own 
private opinion is just the opposite. This is simple 
tact, and will win popularity for you sooner than 
anything else." 

" There's something in what you say, Father. I've 
always held out for my own opinions and tastes in 
the most unimportant matters, and I see now, that's 
one reason why they call me * stuck-up ' and 
' proudy. 5 " 

Mr. Forbes smiled. " I remember from my own 
schooldays, those are the most awful faults a child 
can have. I advise you, Honey, to quit such an atti- 
tude, and acquire the habit of agreeing. If Maisie 
May likes blue hair-ribbons and you like pink, say 
the blue are pretty. That can't hurt your con- 
science, for they are pretty. An4 it will make 
Maisie feel far more friendly, than if you deride the 
blue." 

" Of course, Dad, your hair-ribbon example is a 
silly one, but it does express the idea. I've been too 
dictatorial, and self-sufficient. Now, I'm going to 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

turn over a new leaf. I'm going to agree with every- 
body " 

" In trifles, Bernie. Don't go so far as to mis- 
represent yourself in any matter of importance or 
any question of right or wrong. If any one tells 
you it's a fine day you needn't say you think it raw 
and disagreeable. But if any one says it's a fine day, 
and it's pouring buckets, then say it's raining and 
stick to it." 

" I see, Dad," and Bernice laughed. " I've got 
sense enough to understand what you mean. And 
I'm going to profit by it. Is this the sort of thing 
you don't do ? " 

" I'm afraid it is, girlie. I have a naturally con- 
trary disposition, and if any one says anything, it's 
my first impulse to contradict him. I've tried to cor- 
rect this, but I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks. 
But you're young, and you ought to mend your ways, 
where mending is needed. Myself, I think you're 
perfect, just as you are," and Mr. Forbes smiled 
fondly at his pretty daughter. 

" Dear old Dad ! But I might be a better girl if 
you taught me more about behaviour and such things, 
than if you just approve of me." 

" Can't do it, Honey. To me you're a piece of 
perfection, the apple of my eye. And all I ask 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

is that you shall be happy and have everything you 
want. Is there anything I can give you, Dearie, 
that you don't possess? " 

" No, you dear old Father. But some day, soon, 
perhaps, I may ask a favour of you, a strange one, 
too." 

" AIL right, it's granted in advance. To the half 
of my kingdom, and then, the other half ! " 

Bernice was right. It would have been far better 
if Mr. Forbes had exercised a kind supervision over 
his daughter and her ways, instead of giving her this 
unquestioning approbation. But such was his na- 
ture, and the motherless girl suffered in consequence. 

However, Bernice took to heart her father's talk 
about being agreeable, and began at once to put it 
in practice. She was astonished to find how easy it 
was. Often she stifled an impulse to contradict, and 
discovered that she could honestly agree just as well. 

But it was slow work. Nobody seemed ready to 
meet her half-way. Even the Two D's had become 
disheartened, for the girls and boys tired of showing 
Bernice attention just because Dolly and Dotty asked 
them to. 

And about a week before the Christmas holidays, 
Mr. Fayre told his family that they might as well 
begin to pack up. 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" Nothing more will be said until after January 
first," he remarked, " but there seems no hope of a 
change of plans. You know what Forbes is. I'd 
rather not speak to him on the subject, and get 
snubbed for my pains." 

" But you might just ask him, Father," said 
Trudy. " I hate to resign from my club and give up 
my place on the Concert Committee, unless we're 
surely going away." 

" You may as well give them up, Trudy," answered 
her father, " for we're sure to go." 

" When? " asked Dolly, with a quivering lip. 

" About the middle of January, dear. I'm very 
sorry for you, Dolly, girlie, but you can have Dotty 
to visit you a lot, and you can visit her." 

" And Treasure House ? " said Dolly, in a broken 
voice. 

" That we'll turn over to Dotty. We can't very 
well take it with us." 

"Oh, Daddy, it will Ml me!" and Dolly flung 
herself into her father's arms in a paroxysm of weep- 
ing. 

" There, there, dear little girl, it is terribly hard, 
I know. But try to bear it, my darling little daugh- 
ter. I'll do anything I can for you, to make up. 
Perhaps you can have another Treasure House in 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

Buffalo. But not unless we're fairly sure of staying 
there permanently." 

" Oh, I don't want another Treasure House ! Nor 
another Dotty! I just want this House and this 
Dotty ! Oh, I can't stand it ! " 

It was a long time before they could quiet the 
nervous and heartbroken child. At last, quite worn 
out, she went to bed, but not to sleep. She lay there, 
" thinking it out." 

" I must manage it somehow," she kept saying to 
herself. " There's Bernice, she could keep us here 
by a single word to her father, and she won't do it. 
I've done all I possibly can to make her popular, 
what more could I do? It seems so silly to have my 
whole life's happiness hang on the word of that girl ! 
But if it does hang there, why can't I pick it off? 
Why, oh, why? " 

Tossing and tumbling in her little white bed, Dolly 
put in an awful night. At last one little forlorn 
hope came to her. 

" If I can do that," she thought, seeing a tiny ray 
of hope, ** Bernice will surely agree that I have kept 
my part of the bargain." 

She thought and thought. She planned and 
planned. 

At last, though it was two o'clock in the morning, 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

she jumped out of bed and throwing on her dressing- 
gown, sat at her desk and wrote a long letter to Bert 
and another to Bob Rose. 

Then she went back to bed, and after a short time 
sleep came to ease the poor little worried mind. 

The days flew by. The cold weather continued, 
and skating was the delight of all the young people. 
Bernice was a fine skater, and close watch on the part 
of Dolly and Dotty showed that she had partners for 
the skating parties far oftener than she used to. 

This favoured Dolly's new plan, the same being 
nothing more nor less than to have Bernice chosen 
Queen of the Carnival, which on Christmas Eve was 
to be the great celebration of the holiday season. 

A skating carnival had not been possible for many 
years, but the exceptionally cold winter had made it 
feasible this season, and all the young people of Ber- 
wick were wildly enthusiastic over it. 
f Tad and Tod Brown were willing this time to con- 
sent to the request of the Two D's to vote for Bernice 
as Carnival Queen. 

" She's a bang-up skater," said Tad ; " the best in 
Berwick, I think. And, another thing, Bernie is a 
heap nicer than she used to be. She's come down off 
her high horse, and almost never rubs in her wealth 
and grandeur." 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

" She is nicer," agreed Tod. " She doesn't snap a 
fellow up, everything he says, and she smiles more, 
somehow." 

All this was as balm to Dolly's soul. She rejoiced 
to hear the boys speak thus of Bernice. Then she 
had cold chills, lest, since Bernice was winning praise 
by her own improvement, she might conclude that 
Dolly had no hand in it, and therefore had not won 
her promised reward. 

But the two indefatigable workers kept on. They 
were more wary than they had been when trying to 
get Bernice made class President, for in this instance, 
many were concerned beside their class in High 
School. So they worked quietly, even secretly, but 
they urged many to vote for Bernice as Queen of the 
Carnival, and partly owing to the position and in- 
fluence of Mr. Forbes, many expressed themselves as 
more than willing to consent. 

The hopes of the Two D's ran high. Dolly's let- 
ters to the two boys had resulted in their influencing 
a number of boys in Berwick whom the girls did not 
know well enough to speak to about it. 

And so, when the question came up before the com- 
mittee, public spirit was so much in favour of Bernice 
that she was chosen Queen by a large majority. 

" Oh ! " sighed Dolly in absolute content, when she 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

heard of it. " I am so glad ! Is it really true ? 
Dotty, we've won something, anyway ! I don't know 
whether Bernie will feel that 7 did anything to help, 
but I did!" 

" You bet you did ! " cried Dotty, " and I'll see to 
it that Bernice knows." 

" Be careful, you know she hates to owe it to my 
efforts " 

" But that was her bargain." 

" I know, but still, she squirms when she thinks I 
just plain coax people to be nice to her." 

" I should think she would ! Isn't it horrid, Doll, 
to win favour that way ? " 

" Of course, it seems so to us ; but you know how 
Bernie is. I suppose, Dot, if she had a mother like 
the rest of us have, she'd be different." 

" I s'pose so." 

The night of the carnival came. A perfect night, 
clear, cold, and illuminated by a kindly moon, which 
was somewhat eclipsed by the lights that surrounded 
and glorified the little Berwick lake. 

The decorations were elaborate, and the committee 
in charge were justly proud of their display. 

Bob and Bert were home for their holiday, and 
were eager to know the result of the campaign. 

" Fine," declared Dolly. " Bernie was chosen by 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

a big ma j ority and she'll be a stunning Queen. She's 
going to wear white velvet and ermine, real ermine ! 
Won't she be beautiful? " 

She was beautiful. The costume, though mag- 
nificent, was none too grand for a carnival queen ; and 
better than that, the face, under the crown of gold 
filigree, tipped with white ostrich feathers, was sweet 
and smiling, and showed only kindly and merry im- 
pulses. 

Dolly, as she herself dressed for the carnival, was 
distinctly nervous and apprehensive. Bernice had 
been so busy getting ready for the event and attend- 
ing to its details, that Dolly hadn't seen her alone for 
weeks. She couldn't say exactly that Bernice had 
avoided her, but they had not been thrown together, 
and Dolly had no idea whether Bernice intended to 
carry out her part of the contract or not. 

She feared not; and it was with a heavy heart that 
she donned her pretty skating costume. 

It was of light blue cloth, banded with silver 
fox. A cap to match sat jauntily on the golden 
curls, and it was a lovely reflection that looked back 
at her from her mirror. But Dolly cared little for 
her own appearance, so unnerved was she over the un- 
certainty that still hung over her. 

Meantime Dotty, next door, was also dressing for 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

the carnival. Her costume was of red broadcloth, 
with dark fur trimmings. It was of Russian effect, 
and suited well the rosy beauty of the girl. 

She, too, was thoughtful. At last she exclaimed, 
" I can't stand it ! " and throwing aside the cap she 
was about to don, she flew down to the library and 
snatched up the telephone. 

" Bernice," she said, after she got the connection, 
" I must ask you. Are you going to ask your father, 
you know what ? " 

" What? " asked Bernice, so full of her own affairs, 
she really didn't think what Dotty had in mind. 

" You do know. About somebody's staying in 
Berwick, instead of going away." 

" Oh, that. Well, I can't bother about it now. 
Yes, I'll do it, some time or other. But I don't 
know as somebody had such a lot to do with this 
carnival business " 

" Well, somebody did! Now, you just catch on to 
this! If somebody hadn't, you wouldn't be what 
you are to-night ! " 

" Don't talk so plain over the telephone ! I'll 
see you later ". 

" No, you won't ! You'll settle this here and now, 
or you'll be sorry ! I tell you she did her part and 
more than her part. You said yourself, a bargain's 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

a bargain. Now you've got to keep your word, or 
I'll make you sorry that she kept hers ! " 

" What do you mean? " 

" Just this. If you don't do what you promised 
right now, I'll tell everybody how you happened to 
be Queen " 

" Hush ! Dotty, don't talk so plain ! " 

"Well, will you do it?" 

"Do what?" 

" Ask your father you know what." 

Yes, I'U ask him." 

" Right now? " 

" No, of course not now. To-morrow." 

" No, sir, now! You go straight to him, and fix 
it up, or I'll do what I said." 

" Goodness, what an impatient " and just then 
it struck Bernice that she was to agree with people! 
" All right, Dotsie," she said with such a sudden 
change of intonation that Dotty nearly fell off her 
chair. " I'll go right now. You hang up, and I'll 
call you in a few minutes." 

"Honest?" 

" Yes, honest and truly." 

Dotty waited. In a short time the telephone bell 
rang, and Bernice said, " It's all right. Dad says 
he can arrange it as easy as pie. He didn't know 



they wanted to stay here so much. Shall I tell 
Dolly?" 

" No, let me tell her." 

" All right. Rather you would. I'm fearfully 
busy. Good-bye." 

Bernice was evidently preoccupied with her prep- 
arations, but Dotty didn't care now. They had won ! 
Mr. Forbes had given his word, and all was well. 

Flinging on her cap, that was part of her costume, 
Dotty flew over to Dolly's like a small but very ener- 
getic whirlwind. 

Up the stairs she bounded, and into Dolly's room. 
She grabbed her round the neck and kissed her fran- 
tically, while she cried, " It's all right ! We've won ! 
Mr. Forbes says you can stay ! " 

" What ! " and Dolly's blue eyes opened wide in 
glad surprise. 

Bert and Trudy heard the commotion, and came 
from their rooms. 

" Yes," Dotty whispered, still holding Dolly tight. 
" It's all right, I tell you ! " 

" What's all right? " asked Trudy, looking at the 
two beaming girls. 

" Never mind, Trude," said Bert, catching on. 
" Leave the kiddies alone, they've got a secret." 



THE CARNIVAL QUEEN 

Bert led Trudy away, and laughingly put her back 
in her own room. 

Then he went to Dolly's door. 

" All right, Dot ? Honestly ? " 

" Yes, yes, YES ! Oh, isn't it grand ! " 

And then Dotty told of her telephone talk with 
Bernice, and how Mr. Forbes had willingly agreed to 
let Mr. Fayre stay in the New York office, and con- 
tinue to live in Berwick. 

" Hooray ! " cried Bert, grabbing off the two girls' 
caps and flinging them to the ceiling. " Hadn't a 
cap on, so had to take yours ! I say, you two are 
bricks 1 How ever did you do it ? " 

" Tell you all about it to-morrow," said Dotty smil- 
ing. " We must get off to the carnival now, if we're 
going at all.'* 

" Hold on," said Dolly, still a little bewildered with 
delight. " I must tell Dad and Mumsie ! " 

" Of course," said Dotty, " and Trudy, too." 

The joyful news was spread abroad, and great re- 
joicing was in the house of Fayre. 

Dolly made a clean breast of the whole matter, 
and though Mr. Fayre was dumfounded, he couldn't 
suppress his laughter at the way his daughter had 
manoeuvred. 



V 



\ 



TWO LITTLE WOMEN AND TREASURE HOUSE 

" You're a case, Dollygirl ! " he exclaimed. " I'll 
see Mr. Forbes about this to-morrow." 

" But you'll stay in Berwick, Father ? " 

" Oh, yes, we'll stay in Berwick. I think Berwick 
has earned the honour of your citizenship as long as 
you live. Dolly, you have surprised me, you cer- 
tainly have ! " 

" Where are you people ? " called Bob Rose from 
the hall. " It's time to start ! " 

Dolly was just then smothered in her mother's em- 
brace. She lifted her beaming face, and called out, 
" All right, Bob. Coming!" 

And with gay laughter, the Rose-Fayre quartette 
started off, secure in the knowledge that they were 
all four, permanent citizens of the town of Berwick ! 



THE END 




A 000036176 6 



